Lord of the Sabbath: Luke 6:1-10

Luke 6:20-23

I have a confession, I am a condiment thief.

Imagine this: The disciples are walking through a field of grain on the Sabbath. As they talk together, they automatically pick some of the grain and begin to rub the shell off of it and eat the wheat. I doubt that they decided to do this but it was a natural thing for them to do. However, some of the Pharisees who were watching Jesus and his disciples accused them of breaking Jewish law. After all, the law clearly said that no work was to be done on the Sabbath.

Fields are ripe and ready for the harvest

Technically, it may be true that the disciples may have broken the law. However, they did not make a deliberate decision to pick and eat the grain. It simply was an automatic action. However, the Pharisees constantly were looking for reasons to criticize Jesus and his band of followers. This gave them the perfect opportunity to do so. Jesus simply said to the Pharisees: “Do you remember when David and his companions went into the house of God, took the bread of offering and ate it? They were hungry and no food was available. Yet according to the law, this bread was only to be eaten by the priests.” Jesus’ next statement must have riled and perhaps confused the Pharisees. He simply said:

“The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

i. Poor: Jesus uses the more severe term for poverty. The ancient Greek word here indicates someone who must beg for whatever they have or will get.

a. He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples: We notice that Jesus is speaking to His disciples (toward His disciples). The Sermon on the Plain is directed towards disciples, though others may-and should - hear.

d. Blessed are you when men hate you:

When we seek God like a poor man seeks money, like a hungry man seeks food, or like a weeping person seeks comfort, we will face persecution from those who want other things.

i. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! We can really rejoice when we are persecuted, because

we know that it means we are on the right side-God's side, and the side of so many faithful who went on before us

e. Jesus makes what seem to be paradoxical promises, but He can make them because He is God, and knows that God will settle all things rightly, and according to these principles.

i. He seems to promise that if we are really following Him, we will be totally happy and often in trouble-two things that seem to contradict one another.