The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath

There are two major themes that we have seen over the last weeks in Luke that come together in our passage this morning:authority and mercy.

Luke shows Jesus’ authority over these chapters in that He has authority to heal, to call disciples, to cleanse lepers, to forgive sins, and now he is the authority over the sabbath day.

The second major theme is mercy. After he announces that this is what his ministry is about in Chapter 4:18-19 to  “proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor.” He then shows mercy to the demon possessed, those who are sick, the leper, the leper, paralytic, and Levi.

And that is the day set apart for showing mercy. Hosea 6:6 says, For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. A heart for God and mercy toward people. Amos 5:24, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Micah 6:7-8 says, Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good;  and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Speaking about his father Josiah, Jeremiah says to Shallum in Jeremiah 22, Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink  and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the Lord.

Hosea, Amos, Micah, Jeremiah show that those whose heart know and obey God are those who act differently. Grace. Real grace. mercy. 1 John 3:17 says, But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?.

The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath

1. Authority
2. Mercy

Authority

On the Sabbath. this was not just any other day for Jesus. It was a day when he rested as God rested. It was a day when he rested remembering that his people were slaves in Egypt!  

Luke 4 describes how Jesus "went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom” (Luke 4:16). This was a custom! It ought to be custom! This is what perfect obedience looks like. It is more than a custom, but not less than that.

And on this spring, or early summer Sabbath day Jesus is walking through some grainfields. And while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands (verse 1).  You can imagine them going through and taking the kernels and eating the grain. There is a happy freedom with the disciples that is in stark contrast to the critical, harsh spirit of the pharisees. Even in the church you can often tell the difference between the true follow of Christ, in the joy that they have in the lord! They are feasting, pharisees are fasting. They follow Jesus, the Pharisees follow traditions.

The problem is not with what they are doing. Duet 23:25 says, ”If you go into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain.” You could go along and eat a few heads of corn, but don’t go and harvest the field.

As they are doing this some of the pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath (verse 2).” This is the question. What is lawful for on the sabbath day? And who decides? The pharisees with centuries of tradition, or Jesus? Who has authority? And on whose authority is Jesus allowing them to do this?

The problem was not eating grain from the field but doing it on the sabbath. The Pharisees considered it work, Afterall gathering Manna to eat was not lawful on the sabbath, just so they argued, gathering grain was also considered against the law. In fact, according to ancient Jewish law book, the Mishna, they were breaking four laws - they were reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing food. A quadruple violation!

What were these laws for? They were extra laws above and beyond to make sure that they were not allowing anyone to break the sabbath. We can easily do this too. Add, and tighten up Gods law, as if is not sufficient. We can easily trun God ordained rest into human slavery.

Jesus responds with the scripture. Verse 3-4, “And Jesus answered then, Have you not read…

Have you not read?! Have you been reading your bibles. Here you come to me with the law bound on your heads tied around your wrists. Have you been reading it?!

This was a not-so-subtle rebuke to the religious leaders who were confident in their knowledge of the Scriptures. All kinds of traditions that are just taken for granted, but never compare them with scripture.  

Dear church, It is possible to read scripture carefully, to know the Bible inside out from cover to cover, to be able to quote it verbatim and to pass any examination on it – and yet completely miss its real meaning! Of course they had read it, but they never got it! They were blind guides! They were not worried about Gods holiness; they were worried about their own reputations. They were not worried about loving their neighbors, but themselves!

…what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?”

This is a classic Hebrew way of arguing from the lesser to the greater. The story is found in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. David and his men are on the run from Saul, and they come to Nob and need bread, and he is given the bread of the presence to eat. This was bread that would have been replaced every sabbath. 12 loaves that represented Gods provision for this people. Gods Care! A symbol that God would provide.

But the bread of the presences was holy, and only for the priest. Now was this lawful? NO! Jesus says, “he took and ate the bread of the presence, which is not lawful for any but the priest to eat.” Jesus admits this is in violation of the letter of the law of Moses. What comes first is the question, sacrifice or mercy.

Jesus wants them to see the question different. The law is not about the taking of life but for the saving of life. This is what the sabbath was for. For restoring life. Refreshing us! David and his men were starving. And in Davids case there were those who are trying to take life, and those who are preserving life. Saul and his people are trying to take life. David is preserving life. So here, the Pharisees want to take life, and Jesus gives life.

Human need must not be subject to cold legalism.

But there is an even deeper point, and that is the relationship between Jesus and David. The pharisees were more than willing to defend David for his actions, which was unlawful according to a specific law, because David was the Lords anointed. But they wanted to condemn Jesus and his disciples and yet there was no specific law that they could point to. But David only received the promise, but Jesus was the fulfillment of those promises! He was the Lord of the Sabbath. One greater then David was here!

“And he said to them, “the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” This is a staggering claim. He is the Lord of the Sabbath and in that sense he is the one that brings ultimate sabbath rest! He bring rest from slavery to sin. Rest from slavery of trying to save ourselves. Of thinking we need to provide for ourselves. Rest from slaves to work, or money, or school, or image! REST!

Jesus is not saying sabbath does not matter. He is not debating correct use, but condemning the abuse of the sabbath!  

In an evangelistic diagram there was a picture with all the things that you do with circles around them. And if you are involved with one, you had to put an “x” in that circle. The cross, and the church were just one of those circles. On the next page the cross and the church were the center of it all, and all the other circles centered around that. The two diagrams were meant to illustrate the difference between having Jesus as part of our lives and recognizing Jesus as the center and Lord of life who orients everything else.

This is what the sabbath was for. A weekly reorientation. Is this what is happening?  As in the diagram, it’s as if Jesus takes his place on the throne and puts the Sabbath in its appropriate place. He is the one who is the Lord of the Sabbath – in his kingdom and under his authority only is their true rest. Lets submit our hearts which are geared to self-righteousness ot find our rest in him.

Mercy

“On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there who right hand was withered.” Again, here we have the custom of Jesus. And here is a man who had a withered hand. Clearly someone needed healing, but it was not critical. It could wait for tomorrow. This was the pharisees attitude with the sabbath. If it was not necessary, then it should wait. Only necessary work should be done. So, if that person was in danger of losing life or limb then they would have had no problem with healing. But here was someone whose situation would not change by tomorrow.

With that in mind it says in verse 7, “And the scribes and the pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him.” The word here for watch is to spy on, or to “watch from the corner of your eye.” watching with anticipation. What will Jesus do? Here they were sitting under the preaching of the word. Under the most blessed teacher, only looking to critique. If you come every week looking to find something wrong with the preaching, you will find it. I find it, and I am the preacher. But you will not benefit at all from it.

It is heart breaking. Here are Self-consciously religious men, utterly lost, utterly unmerciful. Utterly enslaved – on a rest day.

We read, “But he knew their thought, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there.”  This is the fulfillment of the prophecy in chapter 2:34, “This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Isreal, and for a sign that is opposed…, so that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” You can’t play tricks with Jesus. He knows your thoughts. He knew their thoughts. And saw right through them. Ironic enough they were wanting to harm him on the sabbath, but they did not want him to heal on the sabbath. They didn’t care about hurting others, so long as you did not disobey the outward rules. And although they want to function in secret, he is open about it.

And knowing their thoughts he confronts them. He could have easily avoided conflict by doing nothing. But he doesn’t.

He calls the man up front, right in the middle. Imagine how that man must have felt, with the withered hand? Being called up in front of everyone! Its already embarrassing enough coming when nothing is wrong, but image your hand was completely withered.

And he asks, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, so save life or to destroy it?” Is it better to do what I am going to do and heal, or leave this man in misery? To save his life and livelihood (it was his right arm after all),or destroy.

Dear church I hope you see, good omitted is evil committed. To refuse to show mercy is a revelation of damnation. Again, it comes down to what is the sabbath for? Who is it for? That is the biggest question. If we understand that, then we will understand what is lawful on the sabbath. It is so that the grace of God might be received and shared. That we might celebrate the beginning of the new heavens and earth. Restoration in Christ.

“And after looking around at the all I would not like to be on the other side of that stare. He waits for them to respond. Nothing. Their silence condemns them. So he said to him, “Stretch our your hand.” And he did so and his hand was restored.” commanded the man to do something impossible in his current condition. He could not! Is this some cruel joke that some bully might play on a lame person! Saying “Get up and walk” knowing he could not!

No this is Jesus.  Jesus gave both the command and the ability to fulfill it, and the man put forth the effort and was healed.

What Jesus commands you to do every day is impossible beloved. But I don’t have a withered arm you say?! Yes, but you do have a withered heart! A heart that cannot act. You are not able to believe but enabled to believe! To live for him, worship and love others.

To truly love others was impossible for the pharisees there. They were, as we confess, inclined to all evil and unable to do any good. He commands us to repent and believe, to be restored, but he also gives us the strength to do so. The man could have easily said, I cant.

We may even have said that in our life! I cant repent. I cant change. I am beyond healing. But this is the Lord of the sabbath before you. The lord of restoration, healing life, creation, freedom!  He says believe! He takes that withered heart and in the act of you stretching out your hand of faith to him, he heals you.

The man obeyed. He had faith in the word of Christ. and he was healed. But could those around him rejoice! Of course not, why? Because they were stuck on their traditions! We read in verse 11, ‘But they were filed with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.” Here was someone that restored to life on the sabbath while they are wondering what to do about Jesus.

It is so sad. So pathetic. Such a lack of love. If they had only heard Isaiah, and understood him when he said in Isaiah 56:1,2 “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come and my righteousness be revealed.  Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

Sabbath keeping means doing good instead of evil, acting in lifegiving ways instead of causing harm or allowing harm to go unchecked. It is the freedom of Christ to love God and others freely. Showing mercy! Yes he is the Lord of the sabbath. He has given us rest! How can we not share that with others! True faith produces a merciful heart. The pharisees had never accepted grace. They could not show it.

Let me ask some questions before I conclude: What would Sabbath look like if we thought of it less as individual self-care and more as submitting to the gospel in our life together as a community? What if we thought of it less as a time to be free of responsibilities and to "do nothing” and more as a time to act in lifegiving ways both for ourselves and for others? If Jesus is truly Lord of our Sabbath, what would that look like?

The rhythm of work and rest embedded in creation was not for any one individual but for the benefit of the human community. In Exodus 23:12, Sabbath rest is not only for the Hebrew people as God’s chosen ones but also for their animals and their slaves and the strangers living among them. This is about be a covenant counterculture of rest in an enslaved society.

We have got to be the kind of people that understand that God requires mercy not sacrifice. Tolove him by worshipping him, and loving others. We need to make room in our schedules for this. It is costly. It is inconvenient.  It may bring tension and conflict humbling. But it will be natural for the Christian.  And this kind of radical mercy, in obedience to the Lord of the sabbath will look completely Counterculture. It may even look like work to the Pharisee!

Authority and mercy. This is a day to honor the authority of God, by practicing the mercy of God!. The sabbath was never supposed to make salves our of people, but to set them free! That is was the Lord of the sabbath came!

And finally if you are unbeliever. There is mercy for you. In Christ. He will meet your deepest need. He will meet your deepest need in restoring the withered heart. He will meet your deepest need in giving you the church as mother. He will meet your deepest need by giving hope and light in darkness. He will restore you.
Only believe in him as lord of the sabbath, and a sabbath for sinners.

Amen.