9-18-2009
Sabbath
The Sabbath is generally known to be a day of rest, and in the Christian faith it’s typically on Sunday. In Matthew chapter 12, Jesus and his followers are being accused of working on the Sabbath when in fact they weren’t. Instead of looking at the situation and the hearts of the accused, the accusers are focused more on the legalism and rituals of the Sabbath versus the true intent of the Sabbath.
“1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."
3He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
We all need rest, and thus we should all honor the Sabbath. It’s extremely important to vacate and take time to focus on God and all He’s provided, and to make an impact for the kingdom of God. At the same time, it’s important not to judge what other’s do. We are called to love people, not judge people. God is the ultimate judge, so let’s leave that to him or you may end up looking like a fool like the Pharisees. They were so focused on the letter of the law; they missed the entire purpose of the law!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 12:1-8
2. Honor the Sabbath
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surely the letter of the law must be followed because it is a divine decree and not open to human interpetation. As for Mathew, it was known that he was tremendous Jesus follower, so he will say over the story in whatever way makes the latter look good. In my opinion the only book that has any credence is 1st testament. The reality is that Jesus had many reasong to spurn the letter of the law due to the fact he was unaccepted by his people. As for the fact that David and his men ate consecrated bread, that is because they were starving. The bible says you shall live by the laws, meaning one is allowed transgress in order to save his life. But to take it so far, to spurn the letter of the law, is to achieve an agenda. I hope criticism does not offend you, and if you are a learned man than you shoud appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting some questions with respect to Christianity, as this is one of the primary reasons for the daily devotionals. We are always here to help you with clarity with respect to your faith journey. I respect and love everyone, and am not here to judge anyone. Now, here are a few answers gathered from ministers and the like for your questions that should bring clarity.
ReplyDelete“Would you consider reading a short book written by a British scholar over 50 years ago? It’s entitled The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? The author is Professor F.F. Bruce of the University of Manchester. If what he says has the ring of truth to it, then we must give serious consideration to the Jesus depicted in the 4 Gospel accounts. If what he says is false, then we can know next to nothing about Jesus, and his teachings and life purpose are really up for grabs.”
A response from another reader sent by email:
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the previous comments your reader will discover that there is more historical attestation to the validity of the New Testament documents than there is the Old Testament. Especially with regard to the length of time that passes between the actual historical events and the first extant copies of the text. We have a portion of the Gospel of John that has been dated around 120 A.D. One collection of 9 New Testament letters is dated back to 200 A.D. The time frame between many of the events in the Old Testament and the first appearance of the Torah in the 5th century B.C. would be a difference of 7 centuries. So, in this one category alone, there is much more opportunity for the texts to be corrupted in the OT than in the New.