Scripture: Matthew 12:1-8 [The Message
1-2 One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!"
3-5Jesus said, "Really? Didn't you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? And didn't you ever read in God's Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it's not held against them?
6-8"There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant—'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'—you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he's in charge."
Observation(s): Jesus and his disciples walk through a grain field and find themselves hungry so commence to break off the heads of grain and eat them. Teacher's of the Law see them and accuse them of breaking the rules established by Moses on Sabbath keeping. Jesus reply is direct and gives His accusers prime example of Sabbath breaking by David, a "Man after God's own heart", and points to the Sabbath breaking of the Priests, yet they stand before G-d as innocent. Then Jesus reveals what is vital! He says that He wants a, "flexible heart to an inflexible ritual" and accuses them [teacher's] of having a critical spirit and reveals himself as proprietor of the Sabbath.
Application(s): Am I an accuser? Do I have a critical spirit? Is my worship in vain? Is my heart open? Do I have courage to speak the Truth? Do I acknowledge Jesus as the Judge in all matters of my life?
Prayer: Father, G-d, you are the Beginning and the End–you are the cornerstone of all things including the Sabbath. You sent your Son to this earth to show me a better way of living my life. Help me to remember that you don’t need ritualistic worship, or critical spirits. What you desire are heart that are open. You desire people to always speak the Truth in love. Rain down your Spirit, so that I may have a heart like David. I Love You.
