October 7: Luke 1-6

Luke 6 begins with a section called "Lord of the Sabbath". First, the Parisees get angry with the disciples after they rub some heads of grain to eat, something deemed "work" on the Sabbath. Jesus told them how David ate the consecrated bread, which was also unlawful. Next, the Pharisees were watching closely to see if Jesus would heal someone on the Sabbath. Jesus healed the man's hand and declared himself "Lord of the Sabbath".

The point in these stories is to show that the underlying principles are more important than the petty rules humans invent. Dr. Ralph Wilson explains that the Pharisees' devotion to the Mosaic Law "led to such extremes that instead of obeying the Law itself, they ended up obeying a multitude-- literally thousands -- of tiny rules that were one step removed from the Law." They were so concerned with accidentally breaking the sacred law that they placed a "hedge" of detailed rules around it. In the midst of trying to live according to the "hedge" rules, they lost site of the central principles the rules were designed to protect.

Do we do this today? Are we like the Pharisees...so worried about the small (man-made) rules for "right living" that we lose sight of God's intentions for how we are to live? I do this...I'm quick to condemn people for sitting around drinking together and don't see the relationships they're building and help they're offering to friends they have met (and led to Christ) in that atmosphere. I've been quick to pass judgment on someone who was pregnant and unmarried instead of walking with them and rejoicing in the decision they've made to give a child life instead of ending their pregnancy. I've even thought the same thing as the Pharisees in the story when I hear about people shopping, eating out, and going to movies on Sunday--"How is that keeping the Sabbath?" --but I find myself skipping fellowship with other Christians, turning down family dinner invitations, and opting out of extended worship opportunities so I can hurry home to "get things done". Matthew 7 is a passage I need to revisit often.

The next time I find myself judging others for "breaking the rules", I will try to remember that the underlying principles are more important. God's laws are important, but only the "Lord of the Sabbath" has the authority to decide what honors God and what does not.