Mark 2:18-28 - It's the Law

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Jesus is questioned twice in Mark 2:18-28. The first question is about fasting and why Jesus' followers are not fasting like those of John the Baptist and those of the Pharisees. The second question is about working on the Sabbath.

The important point here is that the Pharisees were concerned that the Law be obeyed strictly, completely and in every detail. But Jesus has a different view, saying that fasting is no longer appropriate and that the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath.

It's not that Jesus disapproves of the Law. But the Pharisees are more interested in form than they are in function. For Jesus it is the purpose and spirit of the Law that is important, not obedience to it in every minor detail, particularly not when to do so would go against kindness or peace or anything that is part of the nature and character of the Father.

So it makes sense to fast when the relationship with the Almighty is broken, but not in the time and place of its restoration! And it makes sense to have a day free of heavy workload, but not to avoid a relaxing walk while snacking on whatever is easily available.

Jesus is Lord! And he is Lord of everything, even of the Sabbath.

And what about us? Are we going to insist on rules and regulations and spend our time nit-picking and finding fault? Or are we going to rejoice in the One who has already fulfilled the Law, walking freely with him in the great field of life, finding everything we need along the way?

Go out in the world with Jesus, meeting people, blessing them, encouraging them, being a friend, bringing peace and reconciliation. Let's be joyful as we do it, not weighed down by meticulous adherence to rules.

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Matthew 12:1-21 - Jesus' authority and nature

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Here in Matthew 12:1-21 we see again that Yahshua is more concerned about the spiritual intention of the Law than he is about the observance of the details.

The Pharisees were experts at writing minute rules, often going far beyond the Mosaic Law itself. The Law requires people to rest on the Sabbath, but it doesn't say that rubbing off the wheat husk to nibble the kernels is "work". Doing so while strolling through the fields might just as well be seen as a form of relaxation.

Not only does he provide cogent counter-arguments, he also demonstrates that they flout their own rules when necessary and then heals in a way that requires no more work than the words "stretch out your hands".

His response to their plotting is simply to go to another area. Matthew tells us that Jesus is fulfilling Isaiah 42:1-4.

One important lesson to take from this passage is that we, too, should be much more concerned about the spiritual intentions of the Law than about its literal meaning. We should not be so careful about church tradition that we fail to respect our parents, for example. We should not use any kind of ritual duty to justify neglecting the hungry. Nor should we criticise others for failing to pay a tithe or pay into church funds when they are struggling to feed their family. And we are not to be self-satisfied at attending a worship service while our neighbour needs help with a practical difficulty at home.

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