WATCHING JESUS
Scripture Luke 6:1-19 NIV Orig. June 19, 1985
Passage: One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus. 12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. 17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
Introduction
The principle part of the text that we shall cover reflects the extension of controversy that had begun to center itself around Jesus. The Pharisees, and to some extent, the scribes, had begun to question and then resent Him. From that resentment was born opposition and then hostility.
In the 2nd verse, we have the 4th of these conflicts, and verses 6-11 contain the last. But we need to go back to chapter five to consider the first three.
4:15 Jesus enjoyed popularity.
5:17 Thusly, he draws the attention of the religious leaders.
5:21 “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus had healed a paralytic with a statement of forgiven sins. They did not recognize Jesus’ deity. Unacceptable tendencies begin to emerge.
5:30 “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Pharisees (separatists) could see religion in only one way. (Calling Levi)
5:33 “Why do the disciples of John fast often . . . Likewise those of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?” Fasting: The Law prescribed one annual fast (Leviticus 16:29-31); after the captivity it had become four. Luke 18:12, the Pharisee: “I fast twice a week.”
5:36 Spirituality: “No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old. . . .” Someone wrote, “New and old don’t mix. When you know truth, you can’t be satisfied with other.”
6:1 Jesus observed the Sabbath.
6:2 “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath? (Plucking grains). They did not understand His deity, or the Law, or yet the Sabbath.
6:6-11 They ask no question, but here is the consummate conflict. “Filled with rage, (they) discuss . . . what they might do to Jesus.”
6:9 Jesus introduced a new law for an ineffective one.
6:13f Jesus called the twelve disciples/apostles.
6:17-19 Jesus presented a new people of God.
6:46 But no room is left for compromise.
We note first the intent of these religious speculators. 5:17 “There were Pharisees, and teachers of the Law sitting by. 6:7 “And the Scribes and the Pharisees watched Him closely”—to watch suspiciously, underhandedly.
I. They Watched Him through Unforgiven Eyes. “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2:5f.) They disputed Jesus’ right to say so. They disputed that such could happen under these circumstances. Sin, as they understood it, required traditionally prescribed values.
II. They Watched Him through Separatist Eyes. 5:32 “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2:16f.) They believed THEY were God’s only concern. Pharisee meant “separatist.” Their interpretation of the law kept them from associating with such people.
III. They Watched Him through Snobbish Eyes. 5:33 “Why do the disciples of John fast, likewise those of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?” (Mark 2:18.) They saw themselves as the true guardians of the faith. They saw Jesus as something entirely different.
IV. They Saw Jesus through Legalistic Eyes. 6:2 “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” (Mark 2:23.) It is incidental that the question revolves around the Sabbath. Jesus honored the Sabbath. He taught His disciples to correctly honor it. They rebuke what He is allowing His disciples to do. They are eating grain and it is the Sabbath; it was wheat or barley, and harvesting, threshing, winnowing, and preparing it were not lawful. They equate combining and drawing one’s hand over the stalk. The Pharisees had forgotten the claims of mercy because they were beset by rules and regulations. Jesus quoted I Samuel 21:1-6, where David’s men ate the “shewbread” (Bread of the Presence). If David was justified as a man of war defending himself, then what about Jesus, who was a man of love, peace, and mercy.
William Barclay’s insight into “Have you not read what David did?” An obvious “yes!” They did not bring an open mind to God’s Word. They did not bring a needy heart.
V. They Watched Jesus through Changeless Eyes. Jesus asks the question here. 6:9 “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (Mark 3:5)
6:5 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. (Mark 2:28). He defines the Sabbath as an agent for man’s well-being, not an institution to which man is responsible. God ordained it as a day of rest and worship: rest for his body, worship for his spirit. Matthew 12:12 puts it in the form of a positive statement. “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” It is a story with characters: One who needs help—the man with the withered hand; the helper—Jesus; and those who define that help—the Pharisees.
VI. Jesus Chooses His Disciples, 6:12-19. V12 He spent a night in prayer. V13-16 He began calling the disciples. He begins a concerted ministry. V18 He is there [to teach]; the disciples are there to learn; the multitudes are there to hear and to be healed.
Conclusion (Luke 6:6-10)
- Faith called the infirm man to do what he could: “Stand forth.”
- Faith constrained him to do what he could not: “Stretch forth thy hand.”
- Faith compelled him to give credit as is due. “Go in praise to God” (Understood). Jose Cardena was asked about his leukemia. “Would your life purpose be the same if you had not contracted leukemia?” “Probably not,” he said.