6 On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Luke 6:1-11 (NLT)
LEGALISM
When Jesus allowed His disciples to eat grain and when He performed a healing miracle on the Sabbath, Luke records that the Pharisees were “filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11).
They were furious over the fact that Jesus, whom they already disliked, was breaking their rules. Over centuries, God had delivered His commands and laws to the Jewish people through the words and writings of prophets, providing instruction and correction to guide His people toward a holy way of living.
The Pharisees were a group of religious zealots who had taken that law and added hundreds of additional requirements to prevent even an accidental violation. These included oral traditions, rituals, and rules concerning handwashing, dietary restrictions, tithing, strict Sabbath observance, and more.
When Jesus arrived and did not affirm the rules they had created, it infuriated them. Filled with self-righteous arrogance, they made the grave mistake of thinking they had the authority to add to God’s law. They had become overly legalistic, missing the point of God’s instructions entirely.
This reminds me of moments in parenting. My 10-year-old was blessed with the ability to incite utter and unconscionable insanity from his parents. For example, he has a knack for starting a fight with his little brother in the back seat, prompting a comment like, “All right, not another sound back there!” from his dad.
Then, after a brief period of silence, I glance in the rearview mirror and notice his face turning red, almost purple. With concern, I look back at him, and he says with a strained grunt, “You said not a sound, so I wasn’t breathing.”
The exasperation I feel in those moments, because of his overly literal—and arguably antagonistic—interpretation of my instructions, is something any parent can understand. I can only imagine how Jesus felt at the suggestion that He was not properly observing Sabbath regulations.
When I give instructions to my kids, it comes from a place of love. It doesn’t make sense to create an endless list of rules to address every minor infraction throughout the day. Instead, it makes more sense to help them understand what acceptable behavior looks like and to use discernment to make wise decisions.
The Pharisaic additions to the law ultimately reflect a lack of trust. They did not believe the law, as given, was sufficient. Their misinterpretation, even if well-intended, became the foundation of a sinful disdain that ultimately led to Jesus being put on the cross.
So today, remember that His Word is sufficient for us. We don’t need to be legalistic, overly literal, or add to the instruction He has given. We simply need to trust Jesus.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.
