You're Missing the Point!

January 17, 2020

You're Missing the Point!

Luke 6:1–16

Georgia Kiriakos

Central Truth

We can watch Jesus closely, even believing He will act, but still have hearts that are far from Him.

And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 On a Sabbath,^{1

6:1
Some manuscripts On the second first Sabbath (that is, on the second Sabbath after the first)} while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 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?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 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. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Footnotes

[1] 6:1 Some manuscripts On the second first Sabbath (that is, on the second Sabbath after the first)

Have you ever done anything with a false motive? We see this all the time. Someone goes along with the crowd for the wrong reasons; an artist starts off writing music with passion and meaning, but loses a heart for it and begins to perform for fame and money.

In Luke, we see this happening with the religious leaders (Pharisees). They lost the true meaning behind God's commands, and over time they added hundreds of man-made rules detailing specific actions one had to take. They were outraged with Jesus for seemingly ignoring God's laws, particularly the "rules" of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a command given for the purpose of taking a break from work, spending time with God and others, and being reminded of one's true dependence on God. By adding rules, the Pharisees created a system that burdened God's people. A day of rest became an exhausting feat of trying to follow hundreds of ridiculously petty rules. If these man-made rules were broken, it was considered sin!

God's commands were never meant to be burdensome, but to draw us near to Him. In Luke 6:9, Jesus illustrates that there's never a wrong time to have love for others or meet a human need. In Luke 6:5, Jesus declares He is the One who has the authority to decide what is considered sin. The Pharisees just couldn't accept this truth; their hearts were hardened and calloused.

But God cares about His truth. Jesus didn't go into the synagogue that day to abolish or overturn the Sabbath, but to remind them of the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37). To truly follow Jesus means that obedience starts from the inside first. The Lord says in Hosea 6:6 (NLT), "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings."

God knows that if we only follow rules blindly, we will walk away from Him and completely miss the love He desires to show us. He wants us to have so much more than just rules to follow! He wants a relationship with us (Psalm 51:17).

1. We all are capable of seeing Jesus, hearing the gospel, memorizing Scripture, and believing who God is, but having no true heart for Him or missing the point in His Word. Read Psalm 139:23-24 as your own personal prayer and ask the Lord to give you a humble heart of repentance.

2. The Pharisees defined sin according to their own ideas. In what ways do you have a tendency to do this? Proverbs 21:2 says, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart." Who or what is your ultimate authority? Is it God, man-made rules, your own desires, pleasing others, or something else?

3. When Jesus exposed their sin, the Pharisees' reaction was to blame Him, wanting Him to have a consequence. When we refuse to repent and humble our hearts, the Holy Spirit can work through others to expose sin in our souls, which often offends us and angers us toward the person who exposed us. Do you get offended when others point out the truth to you and judge them in return? Ask God to soften your heart and to give you His perspective.

4. Do you set aside time (like a Sabbath) to refocus your heart and mind on God's goodness and what Jesus has done for you? What is one step you can take to cultivate a deeper relationship with the Lord?