Thursday 25 June, 2015

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees are at it again; trying to find fault with everything that Jesus and his disciples did.

The Pharisees are so entrenched in following the law (blindly) that they have missed out the true meaning of Sabbath.

They have so multiplied the requirements and restrictions for keeping the Sabbath that the burden had become intolerable. You cannot pick grains, pick up a mat, save a donkey which has fallen into a pit and the list goes on and on.

Jesus had to reprimand them to emphasize the God given purpose of the Sabbath – a day intended for man (for spiritual, mental and physical restoration)

Father, we thank you that Jesus has come to fulfill your laws. We thank you that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath. We can rest in him, not in our own works. Amen.

Written by Shin Liu