Thought For Today - September 23 -
Lord Of The Sabbath!

     Jesus and his disciples were accused by the Pharisees of breaking the law by picking corn on the Sabbath day.  The Pharisees, who were strict keepers of the law, would condemn anyone for working on the Sabbath day which according to the law was to be kept holy with no work being done.
     Jesus pointed out to them that sometimes necessity requires that God in his mercy allows us to do certain things that we would not normally do under  different circumstances, as in the case of David when he and his men ate the shewbread in the  temple which was lawful for only the priest to eat.  God poured out his mercy on  David and  his men by making the shewbread available to them to satisfy their hunger.  In the case of Jesus and  his disciples, God showed mercy upon them by allowing them to pick the corn and eat on the Sabbath.
     Here in the cornfield with his disciples was one greater than the temple and the law, the divine son of God himself in human flesh.  He who  was Lord of the Sabbath wanted all men to know that God is merciful and would rather pour out his mercy on his creatures than to require sacrifice.
     “At that time Jesus went on the  Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an  hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.  But when the Pharisees saw it they said unto him, behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.  But he said unto them, have ye not  read  what David did when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the  temple profane the sabbaths, and are blameless?  But I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple.  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye woud not have condemned the guiltless.  For the son of man is Lord even of the  sabbath day.” Matthew 12: 1-8.

Posted by Telehelp Publications - From the book - "Morning Thoughts and Meditations"
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