On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 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?” And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:1-5 ESV)
We read this and say, “what is wrong with picking grain and eating when one is hungry?”
Well, first off, who’s field is it! Do you have permission to be picking this grain? Are you breaking another commandment? But none of these are what the Pharisees are worried about. What they are up in arms about is the next part. They are upset because the disciples rubbed the grain in their hands. They did work on the Sabbath. And work is not allowed on the day of rest.
Now if a person is hungry and no food is prepared does not one have the ability to prepare food? Remember though where the Pharisees are coming from. The Israelites were slaves for many years in Egypt where they were told when to work, they probably didn’t get a day off. So a law that demands they take a day of no work sounds really good and something we will uphold. If you we a slave and forced to work all the time, someone telling you to take a day of rest is not a command you will have trouble with, and will fight to keep it!
But we have to remember that the Sabbath was created for man. “And Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'” (Mark 2:27 ESV) The Sabbath is a day of rest for us. And we all should rest but if something more important in the grand scheme of relationships is needed then that trumps the Sabbath.
So remember that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and follow His lead!
aSacredRebel 