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)
MERCY OVER RITUAL
If you spend time in Scripture, you will no doubt find plenty of instruction and guidance for holy living. We are not often eager for correction, but the Bible abounds with examples of God’s people being corrected and reoriented onto the right course.
By the time Jesus arrived on earth, it was not to reaffirm all the ways the Jewish people had gotten God’s Word right, but rather to course-correct and adjust their focus. In this week’s reading, we see Him healing on the Sabbath to the direct scorn of His Pharisaic observers.
The Pharisees, as we learn, had so ritualized their faith that they had lost sight of what truly mattered. It was more important to them that the people under their care follow their rules and ordinances because, in their eyes, that was the holy way to live.
When referring to this “heavy labor of legalism,” Pastor Charles Spurgeon said, “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.”
The real danger, in other words, is the line of thinking that some part of salvation can come from within. Jesus said, “For I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). We cannot save ourselves; we must rely on and trust in Jesus.
In the passage from Luke this week, we see the disciples eating grain kernels and Jesus performing a healing miracle, both on the Sabbath. These are acts of mercy provided by God to His people—one in the form of sustenance and the other in the form of restoration.
The outrage that followed from the Pharisees was legal in nature, but what Jesus said in response was simple: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” In other words, He was saying, “I am in charge, not you, and I choose mercy over your ritualistic rules.”
The need for supplementary processes and procedures had so blinded the religious leaders that they lost sight of God’s heart altogether. Everything He had given them up to that point flowed from His merciful love for His people, yet they did not understand.
We were encouraged on Sunday to “let our understanding slow our criticism.” This understanding of God’s mercy was lost on the Pharisees, but let it not be lost on us. God will always provide for His people—even on the Sabbath.
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.
