Religious groups and churches have patterns or rhythms
weekly worship
monthly communion
Liturgies
Annual festivals or meals
Muslims have the month of Ramadan where they fast during the day, give alms, and feast at night
Hindus have Diwali and specific celebrations tied to their deities
Jews have several annual festivals - many of which are in the fall.
On of the very first rhythms that we see in scripture is the day of sabbath.
As we turn to Luke 6 to reflect on the sabbath, we get to see a bit of a collision between OT practice and NT expression.
So, as we approach these verses today, I want to do so by asking and answering some questions:
What is the Sabbath?
What is Jesus teaching about the Sabbath?
How should we as Christians apply the Sabbath?
What is the Sabbath?
The word Sabbath essentially means one in seven. The first mention of a sabbath principle is established in Creation.
Genesis 2:1–3 ESV
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Now, being God, he did not need to rest or be refreshed, but it was in His work at Creation that God laid out a pattern for all humanity to follow - one out of seven days should be set aside as holy, as a day of rest, a day to cease from labor.
If we were to go back and read more through the Old Testament, we would not find Sabbath mentioned again until during the time of the Exodus in Exodus 16 when God was providing manna from heaven. They were to collect manna for each day, except on the sixth day, they were to collect enough for two days - so that there would be no collecting work happening on the Sabbath or seventh day.
Then we come to the actual Sabbath laws. As we read earlier, the Sabbath is first officially commanded, as an act of “remembrance” in Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:8 ESV
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
God then adds that just as in creation He rested, so too, His people should rest from their work one day out of seven.
Later on in the law, Moses outlined several stipulations or expectations for the Sabbath. Here is a brief summary:
no work was to be done on the Sabbath (Ex. 20:9-10; 31:14)
This would be a day of refreshment for humans and animals alike (Ex. 23:12)
no fire could be kindled (Ex. 35:3)
there should be a holy convocation (Lev. 23:3)
There are other rules that discuss the idea of Sabbath years, where every seven years the land was to have rest (Ex. 23:10-11; Lev. 25:1-7) and every 49 years (or a Sabbath of seven years) there would be a year of Jubilee where debts would be forgiven, land that was sold would be returned, and more (Lev. 25:8-22).
Interestingly, there would also be Sacrifices on the Sabbath and the bread of the presence was likely to be baked nor at least arranged on the Sabbath, which meant that the priests and levites were essentially breaking the Sabbath in order to observe it (Num. 28:9-10; Lv. 23:5-8).
The Sabbath is a big deal to God and he wanted it to be a big deal for his people.
The punishment for breaking Sabbath was death or being cut off from the people.
Exodus 35:2 ESV
Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.
There is even one example of a Sabbath Breaker being put to death.
Numbers 15:32–36 ESV
While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses.
So, in light of the expectations from God and the severe punishment expected for Sabbath breakers, the religious leaders assembled traditions or rules in order to help to define what is work and what is not. In the electronic copy of the Mishnah (or the traditional rules) that I have, these guidelines would print out to about a hundred pages, some of which, frankly, is difficult to understand. They did boil it down to 39 specific rules of what not to do on the sabbath (Mishna 7.2).
So, that gets us into the text that we’re considering today. Luke writes about two different Sabbath encounters where Jesus either confronts or is confronted by the Pharisees. Let’s consider these together and then reflect on what Jesus is teaching and then how we should apply his teaching.
Luke 6:1–11 ESV
On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read 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?” And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 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. 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. 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.
So, in the first encounter as the disciples are walking through grainfield, they pluck heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat them. Luke provides some very clear specifics on this.
From a technical stand point, what they did was allowed. They are allowed to pluck, rub and eat grain that is not their own provided they do not use tools or any sort of container (Dt. 23:25). However, the teachers of the law had developed a tradition in the Mishnah stating that doing this was forbidden. In fact the opening lines of Shabbat 7.2 state:
The Mishnah Shabbat
A The generative categories of acts of labor [prohibited on the Sabbath] are forty less one:
B (1) he who sews, (2) ploughs, (3) reaps, (4) binds sheaves, (5) threshes, (6) winnows, (7) selects [fit from unfit produce or crops], (8) grinds, (9) sifts, (10) kneads, (11) bakes
Their actions could fall under the categories of reaps and grinds - possibly even threshes, winnows, and selects. According to the tradition, the disciples are breaking the Sabbath. According to the Law, they are not.
In the second pericope, Jesus is in the synagogue teaching and a man is there whose right hand is withered. Jesus knew that the Pharisees where watching him closely, looking for a reason to accuse him. So Jesus, with a bit a dramatic flare invites the man to stand near him and asks the question - “is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?”
He looks at all of those who were around Him. I can imagine the silence was deafening. So he simply says, “stretch out your hand.” And the man does so. There is no touch, no making mud, no action - just a word spoken with authority.
So, looking at these two situations, we really have to ask…
What is Jesus teaching about the Sabbath?
In the first scenario, Jesus replies to the accusation of the Pharisees with a story from David - one of Israel’s most revered Kings who ate bread that was forbidden for any but the priest to eat (1 Sam. 21:1-7). There is debate as to whether or not David’s offense happened on the Sabbath and even whether or not it was fresh bread. What’s more, David, who was running from Saul, was not honest about his mission to the priest. And yet he made a bold request.
Jesus’ reply in Luke’s account is that “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
So what is Jesus getting at?
It seems like He is pointing to need and authority. As someone who commanded men, and who were in need, David had the authority to request the bread in order to bring refreshment to his men. In a similar way, Jesus, as the Son of Man and as Luke has been laying out for us, as Son of God, has the authority over the Sabbath. Granted, the Pharisees did not believe him to be either Son of Man or Son of God, but rather a popular teacher who was breaking traditions.
But I think that Jesus’ teaching on his authority and need also takes us back to the original purpose for Sabbath - refreshment. Our bodies cannot go and go and go. We need breaks. We need rest at night and we need an extended break weekly. Jesus wants refreshment for his people. It seems like he is saying that Sabbath was meant to be a blessing for God’s people and not a burden.
This afternoon, if you’d like to do some extended reading on this, let me encourage you to check out Matthew 12 and Mark 2. They both have parallel accounts of this event, but they also include some extra teaching.
On the second event, for the man with the withered hand, Jesus’ lesson seems to be that when it is within our power to do good or to help or to save someone - even on a Sabbath - we should do it. In fact, that sounds a bit like a proverb:
Proverbs 3:27 ESV
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.
Doing good for others on a Sabbath can feel like work at times, but what a joy it will be to be a blessing.
By the way, did you notice how the Pharisees responded to Jesus’ little object lesson? They didn’t care that this crippled man was healed and given a new-found freedom. They were “filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.” (11). I wonder what is more in line with God’s original Sabbath intentions - Jesus’ healing or their hatred?
So, now that we understand a bit more about the Sabbath and what Jesus was teaching, I think we’re challenged to ask the question:
How should Christians apply the Sabbath?
Tied in with this is - what day of the week is the Sabbath? Jews celebrate Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. That is their day of worship and rest. When they were performing sacrifices, which they haven’t really done since the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., Sabbath was day when the weekly sacrifices would have been offered.
From the earliest days of the church, we have worshiped on Sunday, also known as the Lord’s day, because that was the day when Jesus rose from the grave. Should that be our Sabbath? Should we have two days - Saturday Sabbath and a Sunday Lord’s Day? Since Sabbath literally means one of seven - is there a specific day? What should we do on that day, whatever day it is? What is the primary objective of the Sabbath?
There are some in Christian circles who view Sunday as the Christian Sabbath. They apply very similar expectations on that day that Orthodox Jews might apply. Some would mandate worship, forbid any sort of occupational work, or going out to eat, or maybe even in extreme examples, forbidding use of electricity.
Others take a looser view.
It seems like if we could boil down Sabbath to a couple of different principles, it should include - worship, rest, refreshment (for us and others) - bathed in grace.
Worship
Our Sabbath should be a day where we worship God. After all, it was intended to be set aside as Holy unto the Lord. It’s a day to do things that are dedicated to the Lord. I think that we should do whatever we can to be in God’s house with God’s people on our Sabbath - which for most Christians would be Sunday. When we are out of town, I think we should find a place where we can worship with other believers.
Does this mean that we should not do certain things on Sabbath/Sunday? I’m not sure. I do think we should worship and we should do that in person! So many people in our day have thrown off the mantle of official religion and have taken up a more personal spirituality. We have to realize that we are communal people and as communal people - we need to be together. Our culture may be driving us apart to individualistic activities, but our God has designed us for worshipping him with one another.
Secondly, it seems like our Sabbath should include:
Rest
There should be a different pace to our Sabbath. There should be time to rest. Maybe an afternoon nap. For some of us, we’ll rest differently.
I’m going to leave this a bit open ended for us because rest will vary from person to person and family to family. I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is do we feel rested when Sunday is finished or have we so filled it with activity that it looks like another Saturday or even a workday?
The third thing that it seems our Sabbath should include is…
Refreshment - for us and others
Whether that’s through eating, or encouraging times together or doing something to bless someone else (like Jesus healing the man on the Sabbath), our Sabbath observance should entail some refreshment. In Exodus we are reminded of one of the purposes - to rest so that we will be refreshed.
Exodus 23:12 ESV
“Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.
I know, making meals can be exhausting - so maybe it should be a family effort - which can be exhausting in itself.
What about going out to eat? That’s refreshing for some but not for the ones who are serving or cooking.
What about going to or watching sports games?
What about participating in athletics on Sunday?
I think the questions we have to ask are - is it hindering my worship of God, allowing me to rest, so that I can be refreshed?
Now, it’s easy in all of these things to come up with legalistic rules. We can be so tied down to the rules and so focused there that we don’t pay attention to the One who intended us to have a day of rest and refreshment and reverence. So with that in mind, it seems that no matter how we observe Sabbath as a church or as individuals, I think we need to do so…
Bathed in grace
There are times when we can elevate grace so much that we don’t even strive toward holiness. Yet scripture reminds us again and again to be holy and to remember. So making an effort to observing Sabbath in some way is important. Sabbath should look different than other days of the week.
At the same time, there will be days and times when we may not be able to observe Sabbath the way that we would like. We can and should give ourselves some grace. You may take a higher more restrictive view of Sabbath than I do - I would ask that you show me some grace. I may take a higher more restrictive view of Sabbath than you do - I hope that I would show you grace.
This is not a license to sin but rather an encouragement for all of us to focus on the One who has redeemed us. May we strive to worship, rest, and be refreshed here in anticipation of the day when we will enter into that eternal rest.
Closing thoughts
As I read and studied about Sabbath this week and talked through this with the elders, there is one other element of Sabbath that came up - Sabbath years and Jubilee. I mentioned this earlier, but I’d like to close briefly considering this - especially the year of Jubilee. Sabbath years were designed to be a year every seven years when the land would get to rest. The year of Jubilee was to happen every 49 years where another year of rest was given to the land but all debts were forgiven and land that might have been sold was restored. This was a year of celebration. We could even say, this is the year of the Lord’s favor.
A few weeks ago, when we learned about Jesus’ ministry in Nazareth, we found him in the synagogue reading from the prophet Isaiah:
Luke 4:18–19 ESV
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
The work that Jesus did in his ministry here on earth laid the groundwork for His glorious ministry on the cross. On the cross, he covered the sin debts for those who would believe. He paid the eternal punishment for our sin, essentially declaring an eternal Jubilee. Each Sunday or Sabbath is an opportunity for us to look backward to the cross and his resurrection in gratitude for the freedom he secured for us. Each Sunday or Sabbath is an opportunity for us to look forward to the day when we will live eternally in his presence in this Jubilee.
As we close today, we are going to sing about this freedom that Jesus has secured. Friend, if you don’t yet know Christ, I hope you understand that no amount of religious observance can put you in a right standing with Him. You are essentially like fallow ground that is worn out and dead. Receive him as your savior. Receive eternal life. Receive the joy of freedom in him. Receive the joy of Jubilee.
Let’s stand and sing together about our freedom.
Benediction:
Galatians 5:1 ESV
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
Read: Luke 6:1-11
1. What was Sunday like around your house when you were growing up?
2. What is your idea of a truly restful day?
3. What does the word “Sabbath” mean to you?
4. What were the disciples doing that irritated the Pharisees? (6:1–2)
5. What were the disciples accused of doing when they picked the grain? (6:2)
6. How did Jesus respond to the Pharisees’ accusation? (6:3–5)
7. What claim did Jesus make about Himself? (6:5)
8. What did Jesus’ identity as Lord of the Sabbath have to do with the disciples eating grain on the Sabbath? (6:5)
9. Why were the Pharisees and teachers angry at Jesus? (6:7, 11)
10. What difference did it make that Jesus was being watched? (6:7–10)
11. How did Luke use these two Sabbath incidents to illustrate the tension that was growing between Jesus and the religious leaders?
12. How can we guard against misapplying spiritual disciplines? Where can we be tempted to be Pharisaical in our Sabbath observances or in our expectations for others?
Sources:
Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018.
Bock, Darrell L. Luke 1:1-9:50. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
McKinley, Mike. Luke 1–12 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company, 2016.
Neusner, Jacob. The Mishnah : A New Translation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988.
Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
Young, E. J., and F. F. Bruce. “Sabbath.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
