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)
LORD OF THE SABBATH
Last week, I was enamored with the Artemis II mission. Four astronauts went deeper into space than any humans have gone in decades, flying by the moon for the first time in five decades. The marvel of human ingenuity, intellectual capacity, and determination was on full display.
The vastness, complexity, and beauty of space serve as a powerful reflection of God’s creation. As David says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1).
The moon is just under 239,000 miles away from Earth. As the crew encircled the lunar surface to establish orbit and begin their trajectory back home, there was a period of nearly 40 minutes when all communication with Earth was lost. No one could hear them at that point, not even NASA.
We watched this part of their journey unfold on the live NASA feed, as it was an anticipated portion of the mission. Before the radio silence, the pilot of Artemis II, Victor Glover, delivered a message to Earth. After referring to our planet as a “blue oasis in the vastness of space,” he shared these words before the silence:
“As we get close to the nearest point of the moon and the farthest point from the Earth, as we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth, and that’s love. Christ said, in response to what is the greatest command, that it is to love God with all that you are… and He also, being a great teacher, said that there is something equal to it, and that is to love others as yourself. And so, as we prepare to go out of radio communication, we are still going to feel all of your love from Earth.”
On a mission that carried people into one of the deepest parts of space humans have explored, across national television networks and live feeds around the world, the message of Christ and His love was being proclaimed. How amazing is that?
We should all take heart in the fact that, in a space capsule over 200,000 miles into the vastness of space, the prevailing thought on board was a reflection of our need for Jesus. In Luke this week, we studied the details and rules surrounding the Sabbath, and why there are guidelines for work and a need for rest.
Jesus calmly and directly proclaims, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5). Whether we are at work, on vacation, or floating along the edges of the cosmos, He is our portion. He is what we need. There is no distance you can travel on Earth or in the heavens where you will not find Him.
So today, marvel at the creation and rest in the truth that Jesus is Lord over all of it.
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.
