The Pharisees and the Sabbath I. Introduction A. Let us consider the Pharisees and the Sabbath B. Even many who are not entirely familiar with the Bible know that Jesus and the Pharisees were often at odds C. Many of these conflicts centered on the Sabbath 1. As we will see, the Pharisees have very strict views of the Sabbath and what can be done upon it 2. Jesus exposes these views and demonstrates the distance between them and God's perspective on the matter D. Let us consider from Scripture what lessons can be gained from the Pharisees and the Sabbath II. Jesus vs. the Pharisees A. The Gospels record many interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees and similar religious authorities on the Sabbath B. Matthew 12:1-8 / Mark 2:23-28 / Luke 6:1-5 1. Situation: Jesus walking through grain fields on Sabbath; disciples were plucking heads of grain and eating them 2. Such is not stealing per Leviticus 19:9-10, but the effort expended by disciples in plucking grain heads and getting to the grain certainly seemed like work not to be done on the Sabbath! 3. Pharisees accuse disciples of doing what is not lawful on Sabbath 4. Jesus responds by citing example of David and his men eating the bread of the Presence in 1 Samuel 21:1-7, not lawful for David and his men to eat according to Leviticus 24:5-9 5. Sabbath as made for man, not man for Sabbath 6. Jesus as Lord of Sabbath C. Matthew 12:9-14 / Mark 3:1-5 / Luke 6:6-10 1. Same day and audience as before, according to Matthew 2. Man present in synagogue with withered hand 3. Jesus is asked, or asks Himself, if it is lawful to do good on Sabbath 4. Gives example of man lifting sheep out of pit on Sabbath-- humans as more valuable than sheep 5. Tells man to stretch out hand, heals it; Pharisees take counsel to destroy Him D. Luke 4:31-37 1. An example of Jesus in a synagogue casting out demon on Sabbath 2. No indication Pharisees are present 3. Note that there is no contention, just amazement E. Luke 13:10-17 1. Jesus teaching in a synagogue 2. Woman present, disabled 18 years, bent over 3. Jesus laid hands on her, freed her from disability 4. Ruler of synagogue indignant-- six days to work, be healed on those days 5. Jesus calls him out on hypocrisy-- everyone makes sure animals get watered on Sabbath 6. Woman bound by Satan 18 years now loosed on Sabbath to truly rest 7. Adversaries of Jesus put to shame F. Luke 14:1-6 1. Jesus at house of a Pharisee on Sabbath 2. One there with dropsy 3. Jesus asks them if it is lawful to heal or not, then asks who among them has son or animal that falls into well on Sabbath, will not pull them out 4. They do not answer Him; man is healed G. John 5:1-18 1. Man at pool at Bethesda, invalid for 38 years, unable to get chance to be healed 2. Jesus heals him on a Sabbath day 3. John indicates that Jews persecute Jesus because He healed him on Sabbath day H. John 7:21-24 1. Jesus probably speaking about healing of John 5 2. Speaks of command to circumcise on eighth day, done even when eighth day is a Sabbath 3. Yet some are angry for Jesus for making a whole man whole! 4. Need to judge with right judgment I. John 9:1-41 1. Healing of a man born blind 2. Jesus did this on a Sabbath (v. 14) 3. Pharisees certain that Jesus is a sinner because He "does not keep the Sabbath" (v. 16) 4. Denied that it could be an act of God because of it J. Thus we see Jesus interacting with the Pharisees in regard to the Sabbath K. What are we to learn from this? III. Contexts and Applications A. Understanding God's command 1. Before we consider what can be learned from these experiences, we must consider God's command in regard to the Sabbath 2. Exodus 20:8-11, based in Genesis 2:1-3: as God rested on seventh day, so Israel is to rest on the seventh day 3. They are not to do any work (Exodus 20:10), not even to kindle a fire (Exodus 35:3) 4. A day of "holy convocation" in Leviticus 23:3, hence tradition of assembling in synagogue for reading, devotion to God in first century-- a tradition in which Jesus participates! 5. Case study: man who gathered sticks on Sabbath day executed for working on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36) 6. Nevertheless, Sabbath violated often in OT (cf. Nehemiah 13:15-22) 7. Prophets speak of profaning Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13-14, Amos 8:5ff) 8. They also exhort to people observe Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:21-27) 9. Therefore, it is clear that God commanded the Sabbath for a day of rest for the people, stopping normal work to devote themselves to God B. Traditions Regarding the Sabbath 1. We can see strong warnings about violating Sabbath in OT 2. So did the Pharisees and their earlier counterparts! 3. Therefore, to make sure that no one would stumble and violate the Sabbath law and incur destruction, a "hedge" built around Sabbath 4. Traditions bound upon Israelites with the force of law regarding really not doing anything on Sabbath-- not even spitting on ground! 5. Traveling on Sabbath day limited to about three-quarters of a mile (cf. Acts 1:12) 6. While the reasons behind the traditions are understandable, there remains no justification for binding them as law and using them as prism to judge others! C. Jesus and the Pharisees 1. As we can see, Jesus did not respect the traditions of the Pharisees 2. Easily could have waited to heal all such people on Sunday or some such thing 3. Therefore, divinely directed reason for these interactions-- God is sending a message! D. The Challenge: Tension Among Commands 1. The basis of the challenge presented by Jesus' actions on the Sabbath involve the tension that easily comes up among various commands God has given 2. God commanded-- and Jesus never argues with this-- that Israelites should rest on the Sabbath 3. But God also commanded Israel to love their neighbor as themselves (Leviticus 19:18) 4. God also commanded males to be circumcised on the eighth day (Leviticus 12:3), and the eighth day will be a Sabbath day for many a child! 5. Therefore, what is to be done when God has commanded the Israelites to rest on the Sabbath but also to love their neighbor and to circumcise on the eighth day? 6. Jesus expects them to "judge with right judgment"! E. Priority: Doing Good 1. Jesus makes it clear by word and deed that doing good is of great importance 2. As He will say to Pharisees in Matthew 23:23, "justice, mercy, and faithfulness" as the "weightier matters of the law" 3. Therefore, even though one should be concerned to not work on the Sabbath, if mercy demands effort, than effort must be expended! 4. In reality, Jews already doing this-- circumcising on eighth day even when a Sabbath, watering animals, being willing to take animal or human out of pit on Sabbath F. Moments of Necessity 1. The one time when the Pharisees might have had a point involved the disciples plucking grain 2. Jesus recognizes this, and therefore appeals to necessity-- David and his men 3. According to letter of Law, David and his men unable to eat bread of Presence since they are not Levites 4. Because of necessity of situation, however, they ate at that time 5. Not used to justify future eating or the habit of eating 6. Likewise, if disciples had already prepared food but were plucking anyway, no justification, and Jesus Himself would probably rebuke them 7. But Jesus here appeals to necessity G. The Pharisees' Perspective Problem 1. Important for us to realize why Pharisees are condemned 2. Pharisees are not condemned for wanting to rest on Sabbath, carefully make sure that they do not violate Sabbath, or for highly esteeming God's law 3. Instead, Pharisees are condemned because they have majored so much in the minors that they believe Jesus a transgressor because He healed on the Sabbath 4. In so strictly legislating Sabbath, missed priority of commands of love, mercy 5. It takes a hardened, narrow-minded heart to get angry and hostile because someone uses God's power to help others on a particular day! H. So where can we directly apply these lessons? I. The assembly would be the most direct parallel 1. Just as man not made for Sabbath, but Sabbath for man, assembly made for man, not man for assembly (cf. Mark 2:27) 2. We are to assemble and encourage and edify in the assemblies and do as God has commanded, but should never build so many hedges around those actions that the life has been taken from them! 3. We must also "judge righteous judgment" and maintain a healthy sense of priority! J. We also have times when commands may be in tension 1. Assembling and doing good, following boss or country or following God, etc. 2. These are going to exist in new covenant just as they did in the old covenant! 3. We ought to learn from Jesus' interactions with Pharisees and do well to put justice, mercy, faithfulness, love as priority (cf. Luke 6:31, Romans 13:8-11) K. A note on moments of necessity 1. Matthew 12, etc., do show that Jesus teaches that there are moments of necessity when a provision of law is superseded 2. But this is no invitation to religious libertinism! 3. It is a moment of true necessity, not just any old infusion of "grace" over "law" 4. These situations cannot be properly used to justify engaging in practices that God has not authorized in Scripture, especially when there is no "necessity" L. Jesus therefore invites us to judge righteous judgment, to "major on the majors" and "minor on the minors," and act sensibly when commands come into tension IV. Conclusion A. We have seen the interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees on the Sabbath 1. Jesus does good and heals on the Sabbath 2. Pharisees are angered, believe Him a sinner who does not keep Sabbath B. We have seen what this is to show us 1. Existence of tension in commands 2. Importance of not just understanding letter of law, but also purpose and intent 3. Recognition that certain principles-- love, justice, mercy, faithfulness-- take precedent in life 4. When obligations come into tension, we must resolve it using righteous judgment C. Let us seek to make righteous judgment, show love and mercy to all, and be approved servants of God! D. Invitation/songbook