UPDATEDToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought was first posted on August 19, 2013.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
Luke 6:1-11
On a Sabbath, 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.” 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.
Jesus is the “Lord of the Sabbath” (v. 5). Sabbath means “rest,” which implies that God gave the Sabbatical law so that His people could experience the true rest that could only come from God.
After Adam broke the covenant, life on this earth was cursed and “painful toil” was necessary in order to live and have our needs met (Gen. 3:17). However, Jesus came and invited people to enter into His rest: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Since Jesus is the “Lord of the Sabbath,” apart from him, there is no true rest; He is the only One who can give us the rest that we need. Just thinking about today’s schedule can be overwhelming to some of us. We need to pray that despite such busy schedules we can still find rest in Him.
Furthermore, rest means that we do not have to do anything; however, someone needs to work so that we can respite. It is God who works in Christ to provide something “good” for us – that is, His saving grace and healing, according to today’s passage.
We are able to experience true rest because God provides us manna on Friday (i.e., crucifixion) that would not go stale when the new Sabbath comes (i.e., Sunday when Jesus arose from the dead). David’s action foreshadowed what Jesus Christ, the Son of David, would come to do. David was not a priest, yet “he entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions” (v. 4). Jesus the Son of David is the Great High Priest who does not follow the line of the Levitical priesthood.
We, as His disciples, are invited as “companions” to enter, not just the Holy Place, but the Most Holy Place where we are able to encounter the Lord of the Sabbath. And in that place, we are nourished and our souls are refreshed. Based on today’s passage, what should you be seeking during the Sunday worship, as you desire to enter into God’s rest?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the true rest You have provided for us in your Son Christ. Thank You that Your Son did all the “heavy lifting” in order that we may obtain peace with God (Rom. 5:1) through His atoning sacrifice. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 6-7