March23

Luke 5:29-6:11

LORD OF THE SABBATH

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁹ And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. ³⁰ The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” ³¹ And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
³³ And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.” ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? ³⁵ But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” ³⁶ And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. ³⁸ But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹ And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

6 Now it happened that He was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the grain. ² But some of the Pharisees said, “Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” ³ And Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even 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 consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?” ⁵ And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁶ On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. ⁷ The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. ⁸ But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. ⁹ And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” ¹⁰ 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 themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
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In Jesus' day, the Sabbath was "kept" by following the rules and regulations that were instituted  for that very special day set aside by God Himself.
As time passed, men added many rules to the observance of the Sabbath.
When Jesus wanted to heal or do good on the Sabbath, the religious leaders became outraged. And yet....
Jesus reminds us.... and them ... that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He is the one who determines the behavior of observance that is needed to "keep" the Sabbath.
How do you keep the day God has given us for restoration and rest?
Do you see it as a gift from God to you? Given to you for a time to get off the "road to success" and just relax ...
If you spend your Sundays careening down that "road", would you pause for just a moment to consider the Lord's purpose for you on the Sabbath?
What would He want you to do with this "set aside" day?
Certainly, from the scripture reading today, we see that Jesus did not stop ministering to the needs of people on the Sabbath. But He did keep it as a day for ministry.. to save lives..... to do good. ... to not be locked in tradition but to lean on the Lord for wisdom and understanding of how His day should be "kept".
We too should consider carefully how we "keep" this day.
Following the pattern of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, we will be able to keep it well.