Sabbath – Judy in the Sky

Read Matthew 12 – Legalism in practice is the craziest thing. My husband and I traveled to Israel in 2019 and had a peek at life under the law. As travelers, we stayed in very nice hotels, but on the Sabbath odd things happened. One of the strangest things to me was the elevator. It had a Shabbat mode where it operated without lights and stopped on every floor so that one would not be guilty of doing the work of pushing the elevator button.

In our chapter, the disciples got hungry, plucked and ate some heads of grain on the Sabbath. The Pharisees accused them of acting unlawfully because of this.

Jesus brings reasonableness to the law with Old Testament accounts of grace, and plainly states. “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” :7-8

The Pharisees took God’s good and perfect law and imposed ridiculous levels of legalism into it – while considering themselves above the law. What a discouraging way to live.

But the crowds sought Jesus for healing and he did heal ALL on the Sabbath. :15 (ALL is a very cool word in the bible…it doesn’t mean most or some or a few, all means all and that’s all that all means.) Their faith took the action of coming to Jesus believing he could heal them and he blessed their faith with healing. It was a spectacular day!

And that’s why we’re all here, reading the Word. We show up in faith to know real Jesus in truth and love. The world is like the Pharisees, pointing fingers and making accusations about Jesus. Yet here he is in Scripture, saving a wretch like me.

Reflections on Mark 2 – Did you imagine it? As you read about the paralyzed man being lowered by his friends before Jesus, did you try to picture it?

Beloved, would you could lower someone into Jesus’s presence for healing? What if you were the one with the need? Who cares so much about you they keep you close to Jesus? Do try to keep your needs to yourself?

What do you think the outcome would have been for this paralytic man if he would have told his friends to stop? It’s too embarrassing. It would be rude to tear up the roof.

May I propose that none of us are very different? We all fall short; we all need each others to stay on the narrow path, and we all need Jesus.

In verse :16, judgement enters the scene as the Pharisees and scribes notice Jesus keeps company with tax collectors and sinners. He responds without being asked, saying it’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Beloved, don’t you love that? Hypocrisy is ugly. Knowing one is unworthy is a terrible way to go through life, and even worse when those in power won’t let the person live it down. Jesus changed everything.

Finally, Jesus confronts legalism. Pharisees loved legalism, and Jesus points out that the law was not meant to matter more than people.

Beloved, what else in these verses refreshed your love for our Savior? Take some time with that, then read Mark 3.💕