Sacred Sabbath
Matthew 12:1-8 (ESV)
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Study Guide Questions:
Are there specific concepts or points for Sundays message that resonated or stuck in your mind? What and why?
What did the Pharisees think was so wrong with what the disciples were doing in the fields?
Why did Jesus disagree with the Pharisees about the disciples supposed sin?
What does Jesus mean when He says that something greater than the temple is here?
Are there right rituals (in your life or that you practice on Sundays) that have "gone wrong?"
Are there examples in your life where you've had to make difficult decisions to keep the sabbath holy?
A sacred sabbath should be joyful and rejuvenating through right rituals and righteous mercy. Is this the case for you? Why or why not?
What do you do (or want to do) to find the balance between a legalistic versus overly gracious approach to a sacred sabbath that reminds us of our sacred Savior?
Is there a specific area where you tend to be more legalistic or rigid about spiritual practices? How can you invite God to help you balance devotion with mercy and love?