Highlighted New Testament Bible

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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

St Matthew, Chapter 12, verses: 3-4, The Accusations of the Pharisees

Our paragraph topic is:(The disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath) Part 2.

On this sunny day Christ and his disciples and all the followers walked through a field of grain.  The disciples are hungry, so they pick the grain and eat it.  It is the Sabbath and according to the Law, one is not supposed to work on the Sabbath because it is the Lord's day and all should rest.  The Pharisees, who also followed Christ, see this transgression and bring it to his attention 
demanding that he do something about this transgression. 

They did not know.  They told the creator of the law about what was lawful.  They did not know.  They told the creator of the law what he should or should not do.  They did not know.  In their arrogance they told the creator of the law that he was wrong in allowing this act to take place.  They demanded that, as a teacher, he do something about this act of breaking the law of the Sabbath.  They wanted to know that Christ was going to exact punish upon his disciples for breaking the law of the Sabbath.  They, did not know.  They only wanted the satisfaction that the teachings of Christ aligned with what they were enforcing upon the people in order to maintain their positions of power and authority. 

The creator of the law was gentle.  The creator of the law was kind.  The creator of the law brought them to understand the true meaning of the law.  Christ said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and those with him were hungry?  How he entered the house of God, and ate the loaves of proposition which neither he nor those with him could lawfully eat, but only the priests?"     

Christ referred them back to the Law.  He took them back to scripture to remind them of their history.  He was gentle.  He was kind.  He was understanding.  Christ knew that the Pharisees had their own interpretation of the scriptures that was used to keep the people in line.  He knew that the interpretation of the scriptures was two sided, one for the people and one for the Pharisees.  So he schooled them.  He brought them back to their roots that they would see that he knew what they knew.  King David ate the loaves of proposition from the house of God because he was hungry.  King David and all that followed him broke the Law because they had no food to eat.  And David was greater than these little ones who were hungry.  David was the king chosen by God to lead the people.  David broke the law and God did not punish him so why should these be punished.

Christ schools us today the same way.  He is gentle.  He is kind.  He is loving in his guidance to us.  Yet the Pharisees of our churches would have us punished.  The Pharisees who watch over us would bring fire and brimstone upon us for our transgressions.  Are you a Pharisee in your church?  Are you a keeper of the law in your church, looking for every opportunity to speak the law to your fellow parishioners?  Are you so high and mighty that you have forgotten that you too are a sinner?  Are you so quick to preach to others that you have forgotten what lowly place you come from?  Christ gave you the Bible to learn from.  Christ gave you the scriptures to keep in your heart, not to beat others with your mouth.  The source of all humility and obedience calls you to be humble.  The source of all love calls you to love.  The spirit of unity calls you to unite and not to separate.  For Christ is one with the Father.  Will you become one with him and understand the true meaning of love?