Luke 6:1-5
The Lord Jesus and his disciples went through fields and ate produce. This was on a Sabbath day so they were criticized by the religious leaders. The religious leaders said they were breaking the law because they picked up food from a field on the Sabbath day. This might seem ridiculous to us today but it was a serious accusation then. People were stoned to death for breaking the Sabbath. However, the Lord Jesus responded to them with scripture. Notice how the Lord Jesus responded to his accusers with simple truth from the Bible. He reminded them of the account of when David ate the holy priest's bread and was not guilty of breaking the law. He then told them that he was the Lord of the Sabbath.
I believe the Lord Jesus did these things on the Sabbath to provoke the religious people. I believe this was recorded for us because we have a great need to be set free from false religion. The Lord Jesus exposed the hypocrisy and used the scriptures which they were proud of to show them how hardhearted and unmerciful they were. Religious people are the most unmerciful and hardhearted? Why? Because false religion breeds self righteousness. Self righteous people are the most dangerous people you can find. They can kill you and think they are doing God a favor.
People today who preach we are under the Sabbath are no better than these religious leaders who wanted to kill Jesus. This false religion of Sabbath keeping is exactly the kind of thing the Lord Jesus exposed in all of these stories about breaking the Sabbath. Don't be deceived by false religion that teaches we are under the law or should keep the Sabbath. Flee from these false prophets and false religion. It spreads like cancer in the church.
Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again on the third day according the scriptures. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Luke 6:6-11
The religious leaders looked for any reason to accuse the Lord Jesus of wrongdoing. They definitely felt threatened by him and his ministry. Why? All he did was heal somebody! Why was this such a threat to these religious leaders?
To understand this we need discernment into why men use religion to control people. Most of the time religious leaders are in their positions for provision and protection. They convince themselves that they do what they do for God but in reality they are in it for themselves. It is a way to make a living.
In those days there was an entire religious system which controlled not only people going to synagogue but their entire society and community. Religious leaders had much more influence than just over those who came to church.
The Lord Jesus was a threat to this. He did not walk according to their man made rules and traditions. And he had spiritual authority and power which they could not deny. He healed people right in front of them and everyone else in church. There was no denying his spiritual authority and power. Yet he did not live according to their rules.
They knew if people followed the Lord Jesus that it would destroy their system of religious control. In other words, they were in danger of losing their careers, their positions, and their prestige. Religious men in positions of prestige will fight you tooth and nail and kill you before they allow you to damage their reputation. I've seen this in my life with powerful religious leaders. They are very dangerous people, just like King Saul in the Old Testament.
Even though he knew their thoughts that they would plot to kill him the Lord Jesus still healed the man. He was not stopped by their madness. He was determined to finish the ministry and the goal which he received from the heavenly Father. We must adopt this same determination. No matter what people say about us, no matter how people slander us or belittle us or mock us. We must obey God. We must continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Don't let religious people stop you from obeying God.
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