The LORD of Sabbath (Luke 6:1-5)

​Another day, another sabbath. JESUS is walking through a grain field with HIS disciples who are plucking and eating the heads of the grains. The Pharisees were quick to jump in on the action to say that what they were doing is unlawful. But is it really? Let’s look back to the book of Exodus where the command of Sabbath is mentioned. 

““Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.20.8-10.ESV

The law clearly explains that we should not work on Sabbath. The term “work” here in Hebrew is “Melakhah”  meaning occupation. This clearly states that the disciples were not sinning in any way but Pharisees added their own traditions and valued it above GOD’s WORD. JESUS quickly turns their attention to scripture where HE points them to David who received GOD’s mercy when he ate the showbread that was reserved only for the priests. JESUS showed them that they were quick to condemn people based on their man-made traditions, than to extend mercy by walking according to the Scripture like JESUS who HIMSELF is ultimately the LORD of the Sabbath.

When we look closely, JESUS HIMSELF would have quickly corrected the actions of the disciples if they were doing something unlawful before the Pharisees even said a word, which implies that the disciples were not sinning at that moment. But JESUS convicted the Pharisees of their nature of condemnation based on man-made traditions and ignorance of the scriptures. The only PERSON who had all the right to condemn in that scene was JESUS yet HE did not, HE extended mercy by dwelling amongst them, dying for them and giving them HIS righteousness through HIS resurrection.

If we sin, the HOLY SPIRIT would convict us of our sin according to Scripture, and would warn us of its danger and ultimately point us to the hope that we have in the LORD of sabbath WHO extended mercy to us in our time of need by giving us eternal rest in HIM.