on November 8, 2012
Luke 6:1-5 – One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
Who determined the courses of the planets and the placement of the stars? Who established the position of the sun and the moon? Who gave the earth its form and set it on its orbit? And who authorized time and ordered day and night? Who decided that a week would be seven days and that the seventh day should be a Sabbath rest – holy to the Lord? "Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.” (Exodus 34:21). The answer to these questions has everything to do with this incident with Jesus’ disciples and the Pharisees. The One who wrought all these things is Lord of them!
By the time of our Lord, the Jews had established dozens of laws concerning the Sabbath. These laws gave specific direction about work and rest. In an attempt to regulate the Sabbath and keep it holy, there were prohibitions on things like: Carrying, Burning, Extinguishing, Finishing, Writing, Erasing, Cooking, Washing, Sewing, Tearing, Knotting, Untying, Shaping, Selecting, Sifting, Grinding, Kneading, Combing, Spinning, Dyeing, Chain-stitching, Warping, Weaving, Unraveling, Building, Demolishing, Trapping, Shearing, Slaughtering, Skinning, Tanning, Smoothing, Marking, Plowing, Planting, Reaping, Harvesting Threshing, and Winnowing. The last of these was what the Pharisees complained about! “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” There was nothing wrong with what they did except that they did it on the Sabbath!
Jesus reminded them of what David did when he and his companions were hungry. He did what was lawful only for the priests, and they ate the consecrated bread. Along with this reminder, Jesus declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” The Pharisees, in their attempt to keep the Sabbath holy, had made their Sabbath laws more significant than the remembrance of the One who established and sanctified that day! Here Jesus is claiming to be the One who originally authorized the Sabbath and as such, He is the Lord of the Sabbath! Jesus declared to His hearers that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27). And, He raised the questions: “If you had a sheep fall into the pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you pull him out?”; “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?” (Matthew 12:11,12). Answer to both – YES, OF COURSE! Are not people more important than sheep? Is it not right to have compassion on the Sabbath? Wouldn’t THAT honor the LORD of the Sabbath and His intentions for creating it? So, as you consider the Day the Lord has made, consider the Lord of that Day and ask, “What would Jesus do?”
Thursday:
- Meet together with at least 1 or 2 other believers to enter the Throne Room of Grace.
Friday:
- Thank God for creating the Sabbath Day for us.
- Pray for the Good News families of the week: Matt & Becky Hakes (Stevie,Lydia), Taylor Isselhard, Ben & Jen Martin (Emma, Grace, Benjie, Callie, Daniel)
Saturday:
- Praise God that the Sabbath wasn’t intended to be about laws and regulations!
Sunday:
- Give thanks to God for His compassion and grace that’s not limited to six days a week!
- Partner with us in “In Touch” Prayer meeting at the close of Worship Service.
Monday:
- Pray for deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Sabbath.
Tuesday:
- Celebrate faith that is not about LAWS but about a RELATIONSHIP with the Lord of the Sabbath!
Wednesday:
- Praise God that this RELATIONSHIP is one of practical love and compassion!
Prayer Challenge: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)..
I can’t even watch a movie with Natalie Portman in it these days because she was De&rhs#8217;s assistant at Harvard. They sought each other out…so go the news accounts.