Luke 6:1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.
Some might consider this stealing, but there was a provision in the law of Moses that allowed people to eat their neighbor’s produce, so long as they weren’t harvesting. If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain (Deuteronomy 23:25), wrote Moses.
When the Pharisees caught the disciples picking grain, their objection wasn’t that they were stealing, but that they were working on the Sabbath. On it you shall not do any work (Exodus 20:10), said God. The Pharisees thought picking grain was a form of work, which shouldn’t be done on the Sabbath.
Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ behavior is interesting. He referred to an Old Testament episode in which David was given bread from the tabernacle, which only priests were allowed to eat (1 Samuel 21:1-6, Leviticus 24:8-9). In desperation, David broke God’s law without being punished or corrected. Jesus was making the point that human need takes priority over legal minutia. Picking grain on the Sabbath to satisfy hunger was perfectly acceptable.
The Pharisees seem extreme, at points, but wanted to protect the Sabbath because it was an important part of biblical religion. Anyone who desecrates [the Sabbath] is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people (Exodus 31:14), said God.
On one occasion a man was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath, and was placed under arrest until a determination could be made. Then the Lord said to Moses, The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp. So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses (Numbers 15:35-36). Honoring the Sabbath was rather serious business.
Luke 6:5 Then Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
This probably made the religious leaders crosseyed. The Sabbath was ordained by God, so Jesus’ claim to be Lord of the Sabbath was nothing less than a claim to be God. Why did Jesus say such things? Did he want to be crucified? Actually, the Son of Man [came] to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), said Jesus.
Dying on a cross for our sins was Jesus’ mission. He created controversies about the Sabbath in order to turn the religious leaders against him. Crucifixion wasn’t something that happened to Jesus, but something he brought about by contradicting the religious leaders. One of the most effective ways he did this was by opposing their view of the Sabbath. This man is not from God [they said] for he does not keep the Sabbath (John 9:16).
*****
Luke 6:6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.
We can only imagine how much this man hated his shriveled hand, and prayed for healing as a boy. Every night, perhaps, he stretched out his hand and said, Dear God, please heal me. I’m willing to do whatever you want. If you’ll just heal me I will be your servant for the rest of my life. This may’ve gone on for years, until he finally accepted the fact that he wouldn’t be healed. He didn’t abandon his faith in God, but sadly accepted his condition.
Then, one Sabbath, he went to a synagogue service where Jesus was teaching. Maybe it was his regular synagogue, or maybe he traveled to get there. Maybe Jesus saw him when he came in, or maybe their eyes met during the service. But the moment came when Jesus told him to stand in front of everyone. Stretch out your hand, he said. So, once again, the man stretched out his hand. But this time it began to open. Tendons stretched, muscles formed and, suddenly, it was a perfect match to the other. What an amazing answer to prayer, so many years later!
Luke 6:11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Some of the religious leaders thought that sick people shouldn’t be cared for on the Sabbath, unless they might die before sunset. By healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus publicly refuted this idea and undermined their authority. This made them so furious they began to plot how they might kill Jesus (Mark 3:6), wrote Mark.
This, of course, was Jesus’ plan all along. Since the religious leaders weren’t willing to believe in him, Jesus used their wicked hearts to bring about his death, for the salvation of all who would believe. Even those who oppose Jesus will serve his purpose in some other way.
Reflection and Review
Why were the religious leaders so concerned about the Sabbath?
How did Jesus use the Sabbath to bring about his crucifixion?
How should Christians view the Sabbath?
Some might consider this stealing, but there was a provision in the law of Moses that allowed people to eat their neighbor’s produce, so long as they weren’t harvesting. If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain (Deuteronomy 23:25), wrote Moses.
When the Pharisees caught the disciples picking grain, their objection wasn’t that they were stealing, but that they were working on the Sabbath. On it you shall not do any work (Exodus 20:10), said God. The Pharisees thought picking grain was a form of work, which shouldn’t be done on the Sabbath.
Jesus’ defense of his disciples’ behavior is interesting. He referred to an Old Testament episode in which David was given bread from the tabernacle, which only priests were allowed to eat (1 Samuel 21:1-6, Leviticus 24:8-9). In desperation, David broke God’s law without being punished or corrected. Jesus was making the point that human need takes priority over legal minutia. Picking grain on the Sabbath to satisfy hunger was perfectly acceptable.
The Pharisees seem extreme, at points, but wanted to protect the Sabbath because it was an important part of biblical religion. Anyone who desecrates [the Sabbath] is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people (Exodus 31:14), said God.
On one occasion a man was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath, and was placed under arrest until a determination could be made. Then the Lord said to Moses, The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp. So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses (Numbers 15:35-36). Honoring the Sabbath was rather serious business.
Luke 6:5 Then Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
This probably made the religious leaders crosseyed. The Sabbath was ordained by God, so Jesus’ claim to be Lord of the Sabbath was nothing less than a claim to be God. Why did Jesus say such things? Did he want to be crucified? Actually, the Son of Man [came] to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), said Jesus.
Dying on a cross for our sins was Jesus’ mission. He created controversies about the Sabbath in order to turn the religious leaders against him. Crucifixion wasn’t something that happened to Jesus, but something he brought about by contradicting the religious leaders. One of the most effective ways he did this was by opposing their view of the Sabbath. This man is not from God [they said] for he does not keep the Sabbath (John 9:16).
*****
Luke 6:6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.
We can only imagine how much this man hated his shriveled hand, and prayed for healing as a boy. Every night, perhaps, he stretched out his hand and said, Dear God, please heal me. I’m willing to do whatever you want. If you’ll just heal me I will be your servant for the rest of my life. This may’ve gone on for years, until he finally accepted the fact that he wouldn’t be healed. He didn’t abandon his faith in God, but sadly accepted his condition.
Then, one Sabbath, he went to a synagogue service where Jesus was teaching. Maybe it was his regular synagogue, or maybe he traveled to get there. Maybe Jesus saw him when he came in, or maybe their eyes met during the service. But the moment came when Jesus told him to stand in front of everyone. Stretch out your hand, he said. So, once again, the man stretched out his hand. But this time it began to open. Tendons stretched, muscles formed and, suddenly, it was a perfect match to the other. What an amazing answer to prayer, so many years later!
Luke 6:11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Some of the religious leaders thought that sick people shouldn’t be cared for on the Sabbath, unless they might die before sunset. By healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus publicly refuted this idea and undermined their authority. This made them so furious they began to plot how they might kill Jesus (Mark 3:6), wrote Mark.
This, of course, was Jesus’ plan all along. Since the religious leaders weren’t willing to believe in him, Jesus used their wicked hearts to bring about his death, for the salvation of all who would believe. Even those who oppose Jesus will serve his purpose in some other way.
Reflection and Review
Why were the religious leaders so concerned about the Sabbath?
How did Jesus use the Sabbath to bring about his crucifixion?
How should Christians view the Sabbath?