MONDAY Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath Read Matthew 12:1-2 . What is going on here? Why would the Pharisees consider this action as not lawful ? Deuteronomy 23:25 states: When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain (NKJV). The problem, therefore, was not the action itself, but the day on which it was done. Rabbinical regulations expressly prohibited many types of works on Sabbath, such as reaping, threshing, and winnowing. In the Pharisees’ opinion, by plucking the ears of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and separating the grain from the husk, the disciples were guilty of doing all of them. What is the significance of the examples that Jesus used to answer the Pharisees? See Matt. 12:3-5 . With the first example ( 1 Sam. 21:1-6 ) , Christ argued that, although in normal circumstances David and his men should not have eaten the bread meant for the priests ( Lev. 24:9 ), yet because their lives were in danger their actions should be considered a permissible violation of a ceremonial rule. The second example Jesus mentioned (Matt. 12:5 ) has to do with the sacrifices and offerings ordained for the Sabbath day in the temple service, which were twice as many as those offered on any other day (Num. 28:9-10 ) . The Jews themselves recognized that the temple service had priority over the Sabbath. After citing these examples, Jesus made two statements that vindicate His authority to redefine the Pharisees’ burdensome observance of the Sabbath: (1) The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27, NKJV ) . Here Jesus reaffirms the Edenic origin of the Sabbath, and redefines the incorrect priorities of the Pharisees regarding man and the Sabbath: the Sabbath was created to benefit human beings and continues as a God- given gift at the service of humanity, instead of humanity at the service of the Sabbath. And (2), by saying: the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28, NKJV ) , Christ ratified His status as Creator and Legislator of the Sabbath. Therefore, He alone had the authority to free the Sabbath from these man-made laws. The spiritual leaders of God’s people charged the Lord of the Sabbath with violating the day that He Himself had created and sanctified. What message should we all take from this about the dangers of spiritual blindness among those who should know better?
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 09:22:35 +0000
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