This Week’s Scriptures
Mark 2:23-3:6; Exodus 20 & 34; Matthew 23:4; Matthew 11:28
1. Listen to the Message
23 And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
3:1 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 He *said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4 And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. —Mark 2:23-3:6
The
1. Jesus – Son of Man
2. The disciples – followers of Jesus
3. The Pharisees – experts of the Law
4. The man with the withered hand – someone in need
The
What the Pharisees said:
2:23-24… “why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
3:2… “they were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.”
Talmud has 39 categories of laws that they added to God’s command.
Carrying the bed
Casting out Demons
Healing
There are 24 chapters explaining the 39 laws. One Jewish Historian was said to have taken 2.5 years to study just one chapter!What God actually said:
Exodus 20:8-11 and Exodus 34:21
The
What Jesus said, and did:
2:25-28; 3:4
The
Legalism’s philosophy is: looking at others to take pride in how well you are doing instead of looking at others to see how well they are doing.
When it comes to legalism and worshiping the law over the Lawgiver, we have some responsibilities…
How to guard against legalism in your life.
Don’t follow traditions:
Just because you have always understood a biblical teaching from your youth, don’t assume that it is correct.Do Study the Word for yourself:
Leave your presuppositions behind. Do your best to lay down all previous knowledge and simply read the Word to see what it actually says, and what it doesn’t. Study it, search it, meditate on it, and memorize it.Do Love God:
A personal examination of Scripture will give you a new love and passion for God. The more you know Him, the more you will love Him.Do Love others:
Battle falling into the trap of judging others for their actions and thinking more highly of yourself. When you love God correctly, you will automatically love your neighbor the way you should.
How do you do this? Go to God’s word and…
Be
Be
Be
2. For further reflection and study
In both accounts, we see the Pharisees observing Jesus, to “catch” Him. What does this tell you about their heart? Do you ever judge God based on what you see Him doing in your life?
Note that Jesus was both angry and grieved by the Pharisees. What does this tell you about how you should respond to an antagonistic world?
Jesus told the Pharisees that He was Lord, even of the Sabbath. What was He truly saying? What were the implications of this statement?
Are your current spiritual convictions tied to Scripture or are they based on teachings that you have always heard and simply agree with? What do you need to do to assure that your convictions are what God says they should be?
Have you ever become legalistic about things that are not in Scripture? Tell about a time that you changed your position as you became more mature biblically.
What did Jesus expose about the Pharisees in both of these accounts? How does this apply to you?
What may have led to the Pharisees’ attempt to “improve” the Law of God? Are you ever guilty of the same?
Take some time to reflect on your spiritual condition. Are you following the Lord of the Sabbath or the Law of the Sabbath?