Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
Luke 6:1-11
1. The true spirit of the Law
1 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?” Luke 6:1-4 (ESV)
Michael Bentley: Nowhere does the Lord say that God's Word has been superseded by his own teaching, but everywhere he shows how the tradition of the Jewish teachers had fallen far short of what God intended.
27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 (ESV)
2. The Lord of the Sabbath
5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5 (ESV)
Jesus is stating that the Son of Man, or Messiah, reigns over the Sabbath and accurately evaluates what is and what is not appropriate for this day.
3. The true spirit 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 6:6-11 (ESV)
In God's view, a refusal to do good is to do evil—"good omitted is evil committed" (Godet).
9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all . . . 2 Timothy 3:9 (ESV)
Simply put, true faith produces mercy.
12 For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. … 21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:12, 21-24 (ESV)
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (ESV)
17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 1 John 3:17 (ESV)
We must beware of letting our traditions override the clear teaching of God's Word.