July 26, 2010
TAKE A CHILL PILL
Luke 6:1-11
Kaity Avance
Central Truth
We are continually to find rest for our souls in Christ.
Key Verse | Luke 6:5
And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." (Luke 6:5)
Luke 6:1-11
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1 On a Sabbath, 1 6:1 Some manuscripts On the second first Sabbath (that is, on the second Sabbath after the first) while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand
6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Footnotes
[1] 6:1 Some manuscripts On the second first Sabbath (that is, on the second Sabbath after the first)Dive Deeper | Luke 6:1-11
I am an overly gregarious human being. I always laugh when taking the Meyers-Brigg or Strengths Finder test, as they always affirm the same thing: I am an extrovert (no big surprise there) since I keep taking the test over and over again . . . ha, ha, ha.
This mentality also transfers over to my spiritual life. I could easily schedule community group one night, Bible study another, weekly ministry events, Sunday church, serving, discipling, and fellowship time all in one week. Despite doing so many "Christ-centered" activities, however, I can still feel pretty empty at the end of the week.
Let me add my disclaimer right here: these things are not bad, a waste of time, or without impact. I just think I can radically miss the joy of a relationship with Christ sometimes in my rush to spend time with other Christians.
In Matthew 11:28 Christ says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” At the end of the day, I have to ask myself, have I found “rest for my soul” as Christ goes on to say in Matthew 11:29?
In Luke 6 we see Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for their ironclad grip on and ultimate misunderstanding of the Sabbath. It is not about a day set aside for rest or even having quiet time just for the sake of doing quiet times. Jesus doesn't want us to check off a list, but to find continual rest for our souls in Him.
He calls us to the cross and to Him. He invites us to lay our worries and troubles at His feet, to find peace, and to realize true rest only comes from a relationship with Him.
Discussion Questions
1. Are you finding rest for your soul in Christ?
2. Are you so busy you can't find joy in Christ today?
3. When was the last time you truly rested?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The Sabbath was set up because God knew that we would need rest. The Pharisees were committed to keeping the law at any cost, even at the cost of helping another person. Reread the questions that Jesus asks the Pharisees in verse 9.
2. What did Jesus want the Pharisees to understand? Talk through some rules that you might have to break if it meant helping another person.