The Sabbath

“At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.” (v. 1)

Jesus seemed to always transgress the traditions of the Pharisees. One problem with mankind is that we are so steeped in tradition that it becomes our “doctrine” and begins to rule us instead of serving us. That is the case here. The Pharisees, and Sadducees, and other sects, all exalted the Sabbath so highly that it became more important than people; the rule became law instead of law being the rule. In verse 8 Jesus sets the record straight by telling them exactly Who He was, and that He was the Lord of the Sabbath, and not that the Sabbath was lord over Him. When we go against the traditions of men, we appear as a rebel, and become an outcast to some extent among our peers. This is what happened with Jesus, over and over again. It was, then, not the Lord that was in the wrong, but the doctrine of men, which is what we seldom understand. When things do not go the way we are accustomed to seeing them, we blame it on God, and not on man. We whine, and whimper, and complain, and all the while the problem is in our comprehension and attitude, and not in the Bible or the law. Unfortunately, man remains much the same down through the ages.

The church today is resplendent with tradition and it is so deeply rooted in our foundations that we will hardly depart from it without great effort and consternation. Those who see this, and break tradition are thought to be trouble makers and rebels, just as Jesus appeared to be to the religious crowd of His day. Friends, we need to mind our own business when we do not understand the motives of others, and trust that God is in control of their lives as well as ours. Give your brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt. Jesus knew that the people would rise up in anger at His actions, but I believe He did it anyway, to teach us this great truth. Jesus said it all in Mark 2: 27, when He said “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” You see, we think backwards from the way God thinks. He made the Sabbath for man, to be a time of rest and relaxation, and not to rule over him like a tyrant. It was to be a comfort and not a burden, but man turned it around completely, as we like to do with so many things the Lord has provided for us.