A Controversy, A Courtroom, And A Commissioning.

A CONTROVERSY, A COURTROOM, AND A COMMISSIONING.

Luke 6:1-16.

LUKE 6:1-5. This is an account of a controversy which arose from the actions of Jesus’ disciples one Sabbath when they were physically hungry (Luke 6:1).

The ever-vigilant Pharisees had been self-appointed guardians of the old laws and traditions for two or three hundred years by this time. They were looking for some excuse to challenge Jesus - and finding nothing in Him (cf. John 14:30), they sought to bring charges against His disciples. This still sometimes happens, so we need to be diligent.

There is no doubt that the Sabbath law is Biblical. It is both a Creation ordinance (cf. Exodus 20:8-11), and an ordinance of Redemption (cf. Deuteronomy 5:12-15). However, what was not so Biblical was the thirty-nine man-made regulations with which the Rabbis had sought to hedge in the Sabbath.

The disciples were accused of doing “that which is not lawful on the Sabbath” (Luke 6:2). Jesus’ answered the Pharisees in much the same way as He overcame the tempter in the wilderness (cf. Luke 4:1-13) - with Scripture. In order for us to be armed and ready for the spiritual battles which we will face, we must take up ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’ (cf. Ephesians 6:17).

“Have you not read what David did…?” (Luke 6:3-4). So what did David do? The fugitive David fed his men when they were hungry with the ‘show-bread’ (cf. 1 Samuel 21:3-6). According to God’s law (and not just by man’s tradition), this was only lawful for the priests to eat (cf. Leviticus 24:5-9).

No doubt the Pharisees felt that Jesus’ disciples were being unpatriotic by not keeping Israel’s law: but what they were forgetting was that the Sabbath was not an end in itself. It pointed forward to the redemption to come (Hebrews 4:9) - and they refused to recognise the Redeemer in their midst!

Furthermore, Jesus was - like David in the passage which He quoted - a king-in-waiting. Jesus identifies Himself with the Messianic motif of “Son of man” (cf. Daniel 7:13-14): and as such He is “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5).

The spirit of the law takes priority over rigid application of the law, as we will see in the second part of this passage. The rule-of-thumb for the first and second parts of the passage is the Dominical saying which hinges them (Luke 6:5).

LUKE 6:6-11. This should have been the end of the argument but, from the fields, we come into the synagogue (Luke 6:6). This is not now a controversy, but a courtroom. But who is on trial: Jesus or the Pharisees?

There was a man there with a withered hand. Withering speaks to me of thirst, in a dry parched land (cf. Psalm 63:1). Yet the LORD pours water upon the spiritually thirsty, and His Spirit upon our offspring (cf. Isaiah 44:3). The Pharisees watched Jesus to see if He would break another petty regulation designed to hedge in the Sabbath (Luke 6:7).

Jesus, of course, knew their thoughts, and said to the man that had the withered hand, “Rise up, and stand forth in the midst” (Luke 6:8). Jesus is ‘the resurrection and the life’ (John 11:25), so “Rise up.” The man obediently arose, and stood forth.

“Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil,” Jesus asked His would-be accusers, “to save life or to kill?” (Luke 6:9). They held their peace. Jesus, who knows the hearts of all men (Luke 6:8; cf. John 2:24-25), was anticipating the plot that would subsequently be unleashed against Him (Luke 6:11). Jesus restored the man’s hand, whole as the other (Luke 6:10).

Here is the irony. Jesus brings life, and healing. The Pharisees plot (on their precious Sabbath!) to murder an innocent man (Luke 6:11). The LORD requires that which is good: to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with your God (cf. Micah 6:8). Not just on the Sabbath, but every day.

LUKE 6:12-16. Moving on and away from all this drama, Jesus retired into a mountain and spent the night in prayer (Luke 6:12). When it was day, He called His disciples together and “chose” twelve, naming them “apostles” or “sent ones” (Luke 6:13).

The list of those who were called is flanked by Peter (Luke 6:14), who denied Jesus (Luke 22:61) but was lovingly restored (John 21:15-17); and by “Judas Iscariot, which betrayed Him” (Luke 6:16).

The others, too, deserted Him in His hour of need (Matthew 26:56). Which all goes to show that Jesus takes ordinary people like us, and is able to mould us into something much better.