So What's the big Deal

Previously on ...".  Have you noticed with a lot of shows on TV they no longer say "Here are some scenes from last week...".  Instead there isn't any TV season.  The show are big productions that can start anytime, skip several weeks for special events like Christmas, the Olympics or award shows.  With this chaotic schedule, they have to start the show with "Previously on ...".  And then they have to shows scenes several weeks back so you can remember what the show is about.

Well this blog is a little bit like that.   On March 1, I started to see if I could maintain a daily posting as we work our way through Luke.   With such short entries have had to take awhile to get through a single passage and then missed yesterday.

So what was I doing yesterday?  It was a beautiful day here, especially for March in Maine.  Started the morning with the Men's breakfast at the church. Then went over to my sister-in-laws house to copy over some files from her old computer.  Came home and played with my grandson in the backyard and picked some parsnips, while the ladies had their breakfast meeting.  As soon as my wife was available to watch our grandson, Ben and I started laying down a new dining room floor.  One of the Cruisers came by and I was faced with a difficult choice continue working on the floor or go for a short ride on the motorcycle.   I did the responsible thing and went for a ride on the motorcycle.  After all its important to maintain relationships.  Did some more work on the floor after getting back, till it was too dark to see.

Well lets look at out passage and see if we can wrap it up:

Luke 6:1 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. ² And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”
³ But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: ⁴ how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” ⁵ And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:1-5, New King James Version)

Jesus and His disciples were walking through the grain field and as they were walking the disciples were picking the grain and eating it. To the Pharisee, this was harvesting and threshing grain, something which one could do on any other day, but not on the Sabbath.

This certainly sounds odd.  The scene sounds like Jesus and the disciples were simply walking through a field.  Where did the Pharisees come from?   What were they doing in the field?  From their question it would appear they were following Jesus around.  Looking for an opportunity to "catch Him".  This is an issue with those who try to control others.  They are threatened by Jesus outspokenness and His acceptance of the sinners and tax collectors.  He was undermining their control.

Ah hah!!  We got you!  You and your disciples are doing work.  They are not keeping the Sabbath Holy (according to their definition, not God's). 

Jesus responds with a story from the Old Testament, about David their hero eating the showbread that was set aside in the tabernacle.  He relates the story as a question and asks didn't David do something unlawful when he ate the showbread and gave it to those with him.  Though the showbread was set aside before God in the tabernacle, there isn't a reference to it only being available for the priests to eat.  Again the law comes from man, not God. Jesus pointed out that their laws were hypocritical. They were all about show and not about compassion.

Finally, and most importantly from this passage it comes down to, who is Jesus.  The pharisees thought he was a false prophet.  This is bad enough, but He was encroaching on their territory.  They had appointed themselves as spiritual leaders of Israel.   They made the rules and the people needed to obey or God would be angry with them.  Jesus was a threat to their authority.  They needed to show Jesus as just a renegade.

But who did Jesus say He is.  The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.  Jesus is the Son of Man.  We will actually save this term for another time.   So what does the Lord of the Sabbath mean.

First of all the Sabbath was for rest.  Six days shall you work and on the seventh you shall rest.  The Sabbath was rest from the Law.  The burden of the Law.  Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law.  He is the rest we need.  Why work to obtain rest under the law, when Christ gives us rest from the law?

Col 2:16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17, New King James Version)

Mt 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, New King James Version)

Secondly, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.  He is greater than the Sabbath.  To deny His authority over the Sabbath is to deny that He is the Son of God.  Jesus as not about to debate with the Pharisees on what is lawful and what is not lawful on the Sabbath.  He cut right to the root of the issue.  Who is Jesus. He is the Lord of the Sabbath.  He is our Savior.  Stop looking for fault.  Look to Jesus our rest.  Our Savior.