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?” …
Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
(verses 1-2, 5)
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So much of the Pharisees’ view of life and godliness seems to have been shaped by a very constrained view of God himself, seeing him as some kind of celestial traffic cop whose chief focus is watching for infractions.
Certainly this influenced their view of Sabbath-keeping. “Restriction” was the key word defining “Sabbath” in their vocabulary. Over time they had tightened the constraints more and more, adding increasingly specific restrictions, in an effort to keep people from infringing on the Sabbath commandment. Ultimately the rabbis mandated 39 specific kinds of work activity that were outlawed. It was as if they saw themselves as traffic-cops-in-training, whistles and “Do Not Enter” signs in hand, erecting successive layers of barricade to keep unsuspecting motorists back from a major sinkhole.
It was a completely tainted view of Sabbath, which had not originally been given for the purpose of restrictive constraint, but rather as blessing. The word itself means “rest.” It was God’s good gift to his people. Work comes on the other days of the week, often in a non-stop flow in an agrarian culture (and seemingly equally so in many spheres of modern life). But God gave the Sabbath commandment to provide release and refreshment. Rest.
Keeping the Sabbath was, of course, also a very tangible way of honouring the Lord. Even when surrounding cultures and economies took no break, God’s people were called in obedience to do so, trusting the Lord with the consequences. But the law itself was not given for constraint, but blessing.
So, when the Pharisees applied one of their Sabbath strictures (“Do Not Reap”) to the disciples’ innocent act of picking grain to satisfy hunger, they were completely missing the point. Sabbath was always meant as blessing.
Indeed, Jesus pushes the issue further by recounting, with approval, the story of David taking the priests-only consecrated bread from the Tabernacle to feed his hungry men. Meeting real human need seems to be in line with the heart of God.
Ultimately, the bottom-line in this whole encounter comes with the realization that these Pharisees are sounding off at the very One who gave the commandment in the first place.
“So the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Look to him for guidance. Come to him for rest. Find in him blessing that brings freedom and refreshment.
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Dear Lord Jesus, praise you that you are Lord even of the Sabbath. You command rest for your people. You bestow grace. Conform my thinking to be in line with your own. Make me a channel of grace to those in need, a champion of freedom to those falsely constrained.
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Reflect:
Submit your own thinking afresh to the Lord. Are there any constraints (or judgements or legalisms) you have placed on others? Ask the Lord for his perspective.
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Photo by Jumpei Mokudai on Unsplash
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