Have you ever felt as if someone was following you and watching your every move? If so, you’ll be able to relate with Mark’s record of two encounters Jesus had with the Pharisees. Just as a reminder, the Pharisees were the supposed religious people of Jesus’ day who took pride in obeying a list of man-made, burdensome rules. Many of the rules they followed were created out of a prideful heart which coveted attention from others. There was not really a desire to please God through their actions, but an overwhelming obsession with impressing others. I want to be clear, rules are not bad. God has many rules, but they always center on protecting us from harm, providing a good quality of living, and bringing pleasure to God. In this passage, Jesus’ first encounter with the Pharisees happened when He and His disciples were walking through a grainfield on the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week which God declared a day of rest, also part of Ten Commandments). Over the years, many people had added rules to God’s command to rest on the Sabbath and keep it holy. The Mosaic law did not permit working for profit on the Sabbath (Exodus 34:21), but it never said that a person could not pick grain to satisfy their hunger. So, when the disciples plucked some heads of grain to eat because they were hungry the Pharisees were there to call them out. Jesus responds by using an Old Testament story of David eating showbread from the temple which was only permissible for the priests to eat. God does not condemn David for eating because he was hungry. Furthermore, Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (2:27-28). God created the Sabbath in order that man would have a day of rest from all his work. The Pharisees had simply converted the Sabbath into a burdensome day where people had to be careful in everything they did. This is not what God intended.
Next, Mark documents the Pharisees’ controversy over Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-5). Jesus’ response is simple, yet profound: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Jesus was pointing out the heart of the matter. The Pharisees were more concerned with rules than the well-being of people. May we never create rules which God did not clearly outline in His word. If God has clearly defined a command, we should obey it with our whole heart because we love Him. Where God has been silent, may we grant freedom for the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth. We should never judge someone else’s spirituality based on a man-made list of rules, but only on the basis of what God has clearly revealed. On the other hand, may we not worship the freedom we have in Christ more than worshipping Him.
After this encounter with the Pharisees they began plotting how they could destroy Jesus (3:6). Jesus withdrew Himself to the Sea of Galilee and continued His ministry of healing and preaching (3:7-12). He refused to be limited by the rules of the Pharisees. May we conduct our lives in obedience to God’s ways and refuse to allow man to create our system of worship.
Dear God, may I have a commitment to obey and love You above all else. Help me not to give in to a system of pride and man-made rules. Guide me through Your Holy Spirit and word into all truth.
