Luke 6:1-11
Summary for Luke 6:1-11: 6:1-11 a Jesus’ conflicts with the religious leaders continued with two controversies over the Sabbath. The law of Moses required Jews to rest on the Sabbath (Exod 20:8-11 b; Deut 5:13-14 c), but the Pharisees had forgotten that the real reason for the Sabbath was to benefit human beings. 6:1 d his disciples broke off heads of grain: The law allowed this kind of grazing while walking through someone else’s field (Deut 23:24-25 e).6:2 f by harvesting grain: The disciples were not accused of stealing grain, but of working on the Sabbath. They were breaking rules established by oral tradition.
6:3 g While fleeing from Saul (1 Sam 21 h), David ... and his companions took refuge at the sanctuary of Nob. The priest Ahimelech gave them the consecrated Bread of the Presence that only priests were lawfully allowed to eat (Exod 25:30 i; Lev 24:9 j). Jesus’ point was that a technical violation of the law is superseded by the higher law of meeting human needs. There might also be a comparison between David and Jesus as God’s chosen and anointed kings of Israel.
6:5 k Lord, even over the Sabbath: The saying is a play on words with a double meaning. First, son of man often means “human being,” so Jesus affirmed that the Sabbath was made to serve human beings. Son of Man was also a title for the Messiah (see Dan 7:13-14 l). Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath because he created it.
Summary for Luke 6:6-7: 6:6-7 m watched Jesus closely: Jesus now had a reputation for placing human needs above the Sabbath commands, so the religious leaders hoped to catch him working on the Sabbath.
• If he healed the man’s hand: The rabbis of Jesus’ day debated whether offering medical help was justified on the Sabbath; it was generally allowed only in extreme emergencies. The deformed hand was clearly not an emergency.
6:8 n Come and stand in front of everyone: Jesus did not shy away from controversy but was willing to confront the Pharisees’ hypocrisy head on.
6:9 o Is this a day to save life or to destroy it? Jesus’ question penetrated the religious leaders’ motives. They were plotting against Jesus (an evil act) because he was going to heal someone (a good act).
Copyright information for
TNotes