Key Thought

Legalism is a curse. It's so much a curse that the book of Galatians was written specifically to combat it. However, Jesus has to battle those who used their legalistic knowledge of the Scriptures to challenge him to justify what his disciples did. So, as he does on several occasions, Jesus beats them at their own game. If they are going to make what his disciples are doing a sin by "straining gnats" of the Law and their tradition, then Jesus will answer them doing the same. Jesus had already made his point repeatedly in the preceding story: with Jesus, God is doing something new and there will be no business as usual -- with Jesus present, it is a time of joy and a time of change. "If David could do it," Jesus is saying to them in his use of argument, "then surely my disciples can do it since the 'one greater than David' is here." The point? Don't mess with Jesus using legalism; you'll always lose! But then, why should you try to use legalistic arguments, now that grace has come?

Today's Prayer

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Father, please help me never abuse your Scriptures to try to justify what I do or don't do to try to make myself look better than other folks seeking to honor you. Forgive me for the times in the past that I have done this. I am genuinely sorry. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

One time on a Sabbath day, Jesus was walking through some grain fields. His followers picked the grain, rubbed it in their hands, and ate it. Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing that? It is against the law {of Moses} to do that on the Sabbath day." Jesus answered, "You have read about what David did when he and the people with him were hungry. David went into God's house. David took the bread that was offered to God and ate it. And David gave some of the bread to the people with him. This was against the law {of Moses}. The law says that only the priests can eat that bread." Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The Son of Man is Lord (Master) over the Sabbath day." On another Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue. Jesus taught the people. A man with a crippled right hand was there. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. They were waiting to see if he would heal on the Sabbath day. They wanted to see Jesus do something wrong so that they could accuse him. But Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Get up and stand before these people." The man got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which thing is right to do on the Sabbath day: to do good, or to do evil? Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?" Jesus looked around at all of them. Jesus said to the man, "Let me see your hand." The man put his hand out. His hand was healed. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law became very, very angry. They talked to each other about what they could do to Jesus.

— Luke 6:1-11 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.