PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Luke 6:1-11
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil?” (Luke 6:9)
Often the focus of a law is on what you cannot do.
There are laws against being bad, but what about laws for being good?
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day only saw what God’s laws were against.
Don’t do this, don’t do that… and you will be a good person.
But stopping the bad doesn’t make us good; God wants good behaviour.
Doing good, saving life, helping the weak, standing up for justice.
The purpose of God’s law was to point us towards loving God and people.
Sabbath laws were meant to protect labourers and slaves from overwork.
They were meant to create space for personal and family well-being.
Jesus comes to show us what God-like living looks like.
It is not sombre, restrictive, full of negative rules and warnings.
It is all about doing good, blessing others, increasing love, joy, peace…
This way of life is more fulfilling than focusing on the negative.
This is “life to the full” or “eternal life” – the life we were made for!
PRAYER
Lord, help me to see that you want more than just to stop negative behaviour, you demand good behaviour.
“I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” The Sabbath and Jubilee was meant for rest and restoration. It is to set a person free from infirmity, from evil, from the tyranny of slavery – an exodus – a jubilee. Instead, by our own rules and conventions or desires – we lose touch with what was meant to be liberating. Even using the term liberating is an offense to some – yet Jesus liberates us – first of all from the condemnation of death and secondly sets us up to be wholeheartedly willing and able to serve our fellowman to also find jubilee- sabbath. Forgive me Lord for getting in the way with externals that lose sight of the heart of the matter – the joy of salvation!
What a rebel. Lord help us not be in bondage to the legalism but to your spirit in the scriptures. Thank you for showing us that Jesus is the Lord of Sabbath, and we are to follow Him, not traditions.
I grew up with a list of things I could do on Sundays. Restrictive. But each day is the Lord’s day and I need to celebrate Him and my neighbour. His love must pass through me to my neighbour. His way must be first. Love God. Love man. Jesus came to make things whole and I must do the same by my loving, knowing and doing.
Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
2
Love Him, love Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Love Him, love Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
3
Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.