The Sabbath
(Matthew 12:1-8)
When Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath, His disciples who were hungry started picking and eating heads of grain. The Pharisees, who witnessed this, criticized them for not following the rules and regulations of the Sabbath.
1. Love and Compassion
Jesus spoke these words, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.” While the Law clearly stated that only the priests were permitted to eat the consecrated bread, it was never God’s intention to let someone in desperate need go hungry. The emphasis God wanted to convey through the Law was His love and compassion.
2. In the Lord
Jesus further said, “Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.” On the Sabbath, the priests serving in the temple had to work even busier than usual. Despite their actions within the temple made by human hands, they were considered blameless. How much more could those who engage in the work of Jesus Christ, who is greater than the temple, be condemned?
3. The Truthful Rest
“If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice, ‘you would not have condemned the innocent!” What God desires from us is to love Him and love our neighbors in the same way. While the Sabbath outwardly appears as a day of celebrating God’s creation and rest, within this celebration lies God’s compassion and consideration for humanity. Ever since the fall of Adam, human beings have been destined to face challenging lives for survival. Hence, God has provided the Sabbath as a time of rest for these individuals, while also fostering within them the hope to anticipate true rest someday.
June 18, 2023
Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim
