Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 6:1-11 "STILL ON THE SABBATH ISSUE!"
Day 69 – Luke 6
Text: Luke 6:1-11
STILL ON THE SABBATH ISSUE!
The Pharisees were humiliated publicly. They had never come across a Person like Jesus, who refused to be cowed by their presence. They had never come across a Person who knew the Scriptures so deeply. They had never come across a Person with such fortitude and courage! They were defeated. However, they refused to give up this fight against Jesus.
Once they knew that Jesus’ understanding of the Sabbath was different from theirs, they also felt that they had a line of attack that could see them gain victory over Him. They had to concede that Jesus had indeed made up a strong case for His Disciples. His citing of how David was an exception was well-argued. They could not fault that argument.
However, they knew that Jesus could not use that same line of argument for every situation. There would be a time when Jesus could not use David as an analogy! If so, then they would have got Him (or so they thought)!
ANOTHER SABBATH INCIDENT
On another Sabbath occasion, the Scribes and the Pharisees shadowed Jesus as He taught at a synagogue. In the synagogue, there was a man whose “right hand was withered” (Luke 6:6).
The Scribes and Pharisees did not do anything this time round. They did not “bait” or “taunt” Jesus or His Disciples. They figured that they knew Jesus would surely respond to the needs of the man with the withered right hand. If He attempted to heal the man, then they would have an opportunity to accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath.
Healing a man would be work! Even physicians knew better than to work on the Sabbath! If Jesus was indeed a special physician sent from God, then surely He would know better than to attempt to heal the man with the withered right hand.
On the other hand, if Jesus did not heal the man, then this would also be something they could use against Him, should there be an occasion to speak against Him. If they hear of people saying that Jesus was a great Physician, they could say that they saw a man with a withered hand, and Jesus did not heal Him. Either way, they reasoned, they would have something to say against Jesus.
It must have been quite a shock to them to know that Jesus saw through them! He “knew their thoughts” (Luke 6:8). He knew how they reasoned things out. He knew their thoughts. We are reminded of ancient Israel,
“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin…” Isaiah 30:1
They had learned nothing from their debates with Jesus. They simply went into a huddle to see if they could devise plans to entrap Jesus!
THE SABBATH VIEWED FROM ANOTHER STANDPOINT
The Scribes and the Pharisees seemed to be able to see the Sabbath from only ONE standpoint. Everyone was supposed to keep the Sabbath slavishly, as taught by the commandments of the Scribes and Pharisees. Any deviation was to be renounced and rejected as aberration!
Jesus raised an entirely new perspective when He said,
“I will ask you one thing:
Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil,
to save life or to destroy?” Luke 6:9
There must have been an awful silence in the corner of the Scribes and the Pharisees. You can imagine their blood turning cold! A question had been posed! Jesus was asking them to respond!
This was a rhetorical question that did not even need an answer! The answer was obvious! It is lawful to do good and to save life – ANY AND EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!
They knew that they had met their match in Jesus! He was just too deep, too intelligent, too wise… they were completely outclassed!
Then Jesus calmly proceeded to heal the man with the withered right hand! The Scribes and the Pharisees seethed with impotent rage! They could not find a Biblical or legal loophole to trap Jesus!
“THEY WERE FILLED WITH RAGE…” Luke 6:11
Once again the Pharisees and the Scribes were stumped! They could not fault Jesus on any count. They were just unable to gain the upper hand in their battle of wits, against the Lord Jesus Christ!
Luke used an interesting word to describe the “rage” of the Scribes and Pharisees. This was now the second time that Luke recorded the fact that people rejected Jesus. The first time round, he used the word “wrath” to describe the anger of all those in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:28). The word “wrath” (Gk. “thumos”) can be translated “indignation”. The people at Nazareth were indignant and angry with the message that Jesus brought that day. They did not like to hear words of rebuke from one they regarded as the son of Joseph, the local carpenter (Luke 4:22).
In the second instance the word “rage” is translated from the word “anoias”. This word can be simply translated “rage” or “wrath”. However, the word “anoias” also carries the idea of being “without understanding” (modern language, “no-brainer”). The Scribes and Pharisees were angry, but they had no good reason to be! Their rage was “devoid of understanding”. Instead of learning, rage was chosen as the response!
DO WE HAVE A BETTER COMPREHENSION OF THE SABBATH NOW?
Let’s ask ourselves whether we have a better comprehension and appreciation of the Lord Jesus now. What a wonderful Saviour we have! What a tremendous display of wisdom, grace, and a whole lot more! “But we see Jesus…”