Religion vs. Relationship
Luke's Account • Sermon • Submitted
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1 Now 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. 2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how 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?” 5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
Scribes: They copied the written law
They studied, classified and taught moral law
They may have been what we know as Lawyers.
These Scribes honestly beleived that the Law was the final copy of God’s Word. Everything named and listed in the law was viwed as being sufficient for humanity.
We find the Sabbath Law in Nehemiah 9:13-14
13 “You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. 14 You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”
Notice who this law is addressed to.
“Sabbath” means “rest”
Some suggest that the rabbis taught that the Messiah would not come until Israel had perfectly kept the Sabbath, so obeying this law was very important personally. -Wiersbe
To call Sunday the Sabbath is to confuse the first day and the seventh day and what each signifies. The Sabbath is a reminder of the completion of the old creation, while the Lord’s day is a reminder of our Lord’s finished work in the new creation.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
, Eph.4:24
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
It is interesting to note that the Sabath relates to rest after working is completed whereas the Lord’s day speaks of rest prior to work and related to grace (Acts 20:7). However some of the Jewish believers kept observing the Sabbath which created some divisions. Paul addressed this issue in Romans 14 and 15 where he gave principles on unity and liberty within the church. Paul was clear to note that observing special days had nothing to do with salvation. Galatians 4:1-11, Col 2:8-17
Through these religious traditions the pharisees has turned this observation into a burden instead of a blessing. Religion can be like this.
Catholic process-Why is Sunday Mass celebrated on Saturday Evening?
For most of Church history Christians were required to attend Mass within the 24 hours of Sunday to fulfill their obligation to the Lord. This was in accord with the commandment, “Keep holy the Sabbath.”
Then after the Second Vatican Council a decision was made to permit Masses celebrated in the evening before to “count” towards the Sunday obligation. It was codified into Canon Law which now reads, “A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass” (Can. 1248 §1).
The reality is that a new Sabbath had been created in Luke 4:19 when Christ denotes a new jubilee.
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Moving forward we are about to see two instances where Christ broke the cultural customer to make a point.
In the field
It was common for a Jew to eat from a neighbors vineyard, orchard or field as long as he did not fill a container or use a harvesting implement (Deut 23:24-25
24 “When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure, but you shall not put any in your container. 25 When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.
“Sickle” is a short handled farming tool with a semicircular blade, used for cutting grain, lopping or trimming.
Here in Luke the disciples were hungry so the picked up the heads of the wheat rubbed them in their hands and ate them. However, they did this on the Sabbath day and because they did the Pharisees felt that they had broken the law by harvesting and preparing food.
We begin to see a trend where the Pharisees are just waiting for for something to criticize. As they were preparing to build a case against Christ- this was strike two. “Why would Christ allow them to do this?”
They seemed to be more focused on the rules of their religion than the very God who set the original law into place. They failed to recognize Christ as part of the trinity.
Jesus responded by referring back to 1 Samuel 21:1-6
1 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?” 2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.” 4 And the priest answered David and said, “There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.” 5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day.” 6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.
This shewbread was intended to be saved for the Priests only. It symbolized the Presence of God who is the bread of Life. Twelve loaves of bread representing each tribe. It was a method of expressing appreciation and praise to God for food. This symbolized the everlasting covenant between God and his people. “He would always see to it that His people had whatever food was necessary to sustain them”. This bread was for the preists in the Holy Place, and them alone. Rather David and his men ate the loaves. He was Israels great king.
If Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath He is free to do as He pleases on the Sabbath. I’m sure the Pharisees did not miss His meaning.
“God is more concerned about meeting human needs that He is about protecting religious rules. Better that David and his men recieved strength to serve God than that they perish only for the sake of the temporary law. God desires compassion, not sacrifice (Matt 12:7) -Weirsbe
This did not match up with the Pharisees view of that law Matthew 23:23
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
6 Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. 8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” 10 And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
2. In the temple
The pharisees knew that it was custom to be in the synagogue on the Sabbath. They gathered to continue to build their case against Him. Perhaps the Pharisees planted this guy with the withered hand at this event? “Hey maybe we can get a third offense against this Jesus”. We quickly realize the focus of Jesus. He had compassion for this man. To restore his hand fully. Mark 2:27 explains that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbathh” Mark 2:27
27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
11 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
This is a man made in the image of God!
Theses scribes and pharisees had turned God’s gift into a burdensome yoke that none could carry. Acts 12:10
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Jesus knew exactly what they were doing Matt 12:15-This is evidence of His diety. Jesus was claiming to be the Lord of Good and the Lord of Salvation- One who does Good and the Who saves life.
15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
Their purpose was to accuse Him.
15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood.
He healed the man, departed and spent some much needed time in prayer on a Mountain all alone. Matt 11:28-30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
We can come boldly to Him through prayer because our Sins are forgiven and he is reconciled to God Romans 5:1-11
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
As we yield to Christ in daily experience, we enjoy the peace of God in our hearts and minds Phil. 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Religion and activities that give us a “to do list” tends to become burdensome and unable to carry (lack of Joy). Christ would rather focusing on meeting needs to proclaim who He is is far more important than following a list of guidelines that were intended for the nation of Israel. These guidelines were meant to be a help, not a discouraging experience.
Jesus’ love reaches out even to those who opposed Him violently. He reached out honestly, openly, to think and to reason.
Main idea: To do good abd safe life through the gospel is far moe important that rituals and traditions.
This is a message that promotes change and is seen as confrontational. Luke 6:11
11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
This is also the most beautiful message ever to come true.
Now, Sundays are not actual Sabbaths. However it is a great opportunity to replenish your walk with the Lord, Glorify Him, and serve others. I believe our relationship is not limited to a building or certain hours on a Sunday, however I have learned that working on Sundays especially for overtime has never provided more than the Lord does through His word and His people.
