1Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. 2And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”
3But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:1-5)
Lord Jesus did not argue with the Pharisees; instead, He took them right to the Word of God (1 Samuel 21:1–6).
The “showbread” comprised twelve loaves, one for each tribe in Israel, and it stood on the table in the holy place in the tabernacle and then in the temple (Ex.25:23–30; Lev. 24:5–9).
Fresh bread was put on the table each Sabbath, and only the priests were allowed to eat the loaves. But David and his men ate the loaves, and what Jew would condemn Israel’s great king? “He was God’s anointed!” they might argue, but that was exactly what Jesus claimed for Himself (Luke 4:18). So not only was He God’s Anointed, but He was also the Lord of the Sabbath!
When Jesus made that statement, He claimed to be Jehovah God because it was the Lord who established the Sabbath. If Jesus Christ is indeed Lord of the Sabbath, then He is free to do on it and with it whatever He pleases. The Pharisees did not miss His meaning; you can be sure. Just make sure you don’t. Jesus is God.
God is more concerned about meeting human needs than He is about protecting religious rules. Better that David and his men receive strength to serve God than that they perish only for the sake of a temporary law. God desires compassion, not sacrifice (Matthew 12:7, quoting Hosea 6:6). The Pharisees, of course, had a different view of the law (Matthew 23:23).
But they were filled with lack of understanding and senseless rage and discussed (consulted) with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:11)
Their Sabbath worship had not changed them. They were still filled with ‘senseless rage’.
After your prayer time or time of worship, you still are getting angry and worked up for little things; then, you need to dig in deeper into God, connect with Him so that you carry His peace and love with you.
Religion is mere attendance.
A relationship is what brings change.
Now in those days, it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray and spent the whole night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)
Why did Lord Jesus spend the whole night in prayer?
Jesus spent the whole night in prayer, for He was about to call His twelve apostles from among the many disciples who were following Him.
A disciple is a learner, an apprentice, while an apostle is a chosen messenger sent with a special commission. Jesus had many disciples (see Luke 10:1) but only twelve hand-picked apostles.
Important decisions should be taken only after much prayer.
13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them, He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor. (Luke 6: 13-16)
What an interesting group of men! They illustrate what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:26–29, and they are an encouragement to us today. After all, if God could use them, can He not use us?
Seven of them were fishermen (see John 21:1–3)
One was a tax collector
The other four are anonymous as far as their vocations are concerned.
They were ordinary men; their personalities were different and yet Jesus called them to be with Him, to learn from Him, and to go out to represent Him (Mark 3:14).
Life is built on character, and character is built on decisions. But decisions are based on values.
39And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they, not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First, remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye. (Luke 6:39-42)
“Can the blind lead the blind
This reveals the importance of a leader having his or her spiritual eyes opened.
Both will fall into the ditch.
The disaster. This tells us the scope of the disaster. One man who is blind can lead thousands to doom.
Luke 6:40 also reminds us that we cannot lead others where we have not been ourselves.
Be careful of people who are constantly criticizing others. They are usually guilty of something worse in their own lives.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
The human heart is like a treasury, and what we speak reveals what is there. A man who apologized for swearing by saying, “It really wasn’t in me!” heard a friend say, “It had to be in you, or it couldn’t have come out of you!”
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