Day 52 – Lord of the Sabbath
Study Luke 6:1-5
“And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5
Is it just me wondering if the Pharisees seemed to stalk Jesus? Or to hide behind grain bushes to jump out the moment they think they can accuse Him of a violation? Being content and on their way, Jesus and the disciples walked through grainfields. The disciples plucked some grain and rubbed it between their hands to remove the husks to eat, and poof … the Pharisees accused them of breaking the Sabbath law.
When Jesus answered them, He referred to David’s story in 1 Samuel 21:1-6, pointing out their hypocritical accusations because they chose to overlook David’s violation on the Sabbath. The disciples did not steal (Deuteronomy 23:25); they gleaned. And according to the Pharisees, they were reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing. The desperate human need is more important than religious rituals.
Jesus’ statement in verse 5 doesn’t refer only to the commandments, but to the very creation in which it was instituted. We do not live by the Rabbinical law to keep the Sabbath, but it is our responsibility to honour the Sabbath as God intended from creation. Jesus is Lord over all.
The problem was never about what the disciples did, but the day they did it on. Later in Jesus’ ministry, He addresses this again. There’s never a wrong day to do something good!
Pray with me: Father, thank You for teaching us that Jesus is Lord over the Sabbath too and that we honour this day as You intended from creation. Thank You, Jesus, that You came to fulfil the law and to give us a deeper understanding of Kingdom law-keeping vs. man-made law-keeping. Amen. ©
Love, Iriza
