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Luke

Luke 
Day 
Day 68

Luke 6:1-11 "NOT YET FULLY TRAINED!"

Day 68 – Luke 6

Text: Luke 6:1-11

NOT YET FULLY TRAINED!

“Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” The Pharisees raised this question to the Disciples of the Lord Jesus. They did not direct this Sabbath question to Jesus Himself. The Pharisees probably figured that the Disciples were not yet fully instructed yet. They would prove to be less formidable opponents.

The Pharisees were right. The Disciples did not know how to answer this question from them. Was it really breaking the Law of the Sabbath, simply because one grabbed a few heads of grain, rubbed it, and then ate it? Did God really give Israel such specific, demanding and strict laws? At this stage of their training the Disciples of the Lord Jesus were unable to come up with a good answer.

THE MASTER TO THE RESCUE WITH A TRULY IMPRESSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURES

The Lord Jesus came to the rescue of His Disciples. He took the question of the Pharisees apart. The phrase, “what is not lawful” was tackled by the Lord Jesus.

The Pharisees posed as experts in the law. They were the ones who were supposed to know the Scriptures so well, that they knew exactly what was lawful and what was not. Yet, they failed to quote any portion of Scripture when they sought to pin the Disciples of Jesus down. Where was the supportive Scriptural evidence that would endorse what they said to the Disciples? They could find none for one simple reason. There was nothing in the Scriptures that forbade people to pluck off the heads of grain, rub and eat the raw grain! The Disciples of course did not know the Scriptures well enough, at this point of time, and so they could not answer the Pharisees.

At this point, Jesus quoted the Scriptures. The key phrase was “that which was not lawful”. He cited the case of David and his men who were running away from King Saul. They were running for their lives! Saul was out to kill them. (Cf. 1 Samuel 21:1-6)

They did not have food with them. They were famished. They needed nourishment. If they did not have food, they would not be able to escape the wrath of Saul.

Initially, the priest of Nob, Ahimelech was unsure if he should give the only bread he had on hand, the “Showbread” which only priests were allowed to consume, according to the Levitical laws (Leviticus 24: 5-9). The bread was considered “most holy”. It was consecrated bread.

The priest, Ahimelech finally decided that he would give to David and his men the showbread which was not lawful for any but the priests to eat. Why did the priest Ahimelech do that? Why was David not divinely punished for eating consecrated bread meant only for priests?

What did the Pharisees have to say about this portion of the Scriptures? They had no answers to the question that Jesus raised to them! They were dumbfounded! They were probably taken aback that Jesus knew the Scriptures that well! This time, it was their turn to feel embarrassed and awkward that they did not know the Scriptures well enough to come back with an answer.

THE LAW WAS NOT WRITTEN TO FIND FAULT WITH MEN

The Lord Jesus was trying to teach the Pharisees that they had misread the law, or at least that they had misapplied their understanding of the law. The Pharisees were literally abusing the use of the law.

They were using the law to find fault with people. There is a passage of Scriptures in Isaiah 29:20-21 that well described the Pharisees,

“The scornful one is consumed,
And all who watch for iniquity are cut off –
Who make a man an offender by a word,
And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate,
And turn aside the just by empty words.”

The Pharisees were “scornful ones” indeed. They scorned the Lord Jesus and His Disciples! They were always waiting to see if they could catch Jesus committing “iniquity”. They were always trying to make Jesus to be an “offender by a word”. They would always try and lay snares to see if they entrap Jesus and His disciples.

The Law was not written to find fault with men. Yes, God gave to Israel many laws. These laws were meant to help the nation to have a good and well-ordered society. Laws were meant for those bent on mischief. Laws were meant to penalize those who had no regard for propriety.

Laws were never meant to be rigidly, and unfeelingly applied. If that were the case, then David and his men would have to be duly punished for having eaten the showbread. The common people could not eat consecrated bread.

The priest Ahimelech was not incorrect to make an exception to the rule. He accepted David’s reasoning that the showbread could be given to him and his men! There the law was gently and graciously applied. This is the correct way of applying any law from God. Jesus would apply this approach consistently in His earthly ministry.

NO CONTRADICTION OF THE LAW

Was Jesus contradicting the law of Moses? NO! He was correctly applying the spirit of the law, rather than just the letter of the law.

This incident allowed Jesus once again the opportunity to teach both the Pharisees, His disciples, and the crowds just who He was! Jesus was not just a Teacher with another point of view! He was the Lord Himself. He was the Lord of the Sabbath! Could they not see that the tremendous authority in His teaching reflected something greater?

How do you see Jesus in this complex argument over the Sabbath law? Do you see His gentleness, His kindness, His spirit and the fact that He is indeed the Lord!