I sometimes look at God's people and think, "why do we do that? Why do we say the things we say? Is this the way God intended us to be or have we become so caught up in our traditions that we have lost sight of God's intention for the church?"
This is the heart of our passage today. Our text will be Mark 2:18-3:6 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%202:18-3:6&version=NIV
In this passage we see a few things going on. First we find Jesus in a discussion about fasting, then we find two encounters where the sabbath is being disputed between the Pharisees and Jesus. In all of these passages we find Jesus or His disciples going against the grain of the religious norm.
In the first incident we find Jesus' disciples daring to eat while the rest of the people are fasting. (It might be important to note that Jewish Law only required one day of fasting every year but tradition at that time had instilled many more days of fasting.)
It is during this account that we find the point of our good news today. It is found in Jesus' response in Mark 2:21-22 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.
Jesus wants these people to know that God is bringing about something new. That by Jesus being here all of these man made traditions don't matter any more. As we saw with Jesus and the tax collectors Jesus isn't interested in man's ways of doing things He wants to see God's purpose and design to be fulfilled.
This point is then illustrated in two back to back narratives.
The first account has to do with His disciples picking off some grain and eating it while they were walking and the second has to do with whether or not it is ok to heal on the sabbath. In both of these places Jesus challenges the traditions of man and the standard intent of God.
To properly understand what was going on we have to understand what sabbath tradition looked like. Teachers of the law had bogged the sabbath down with so many regulations that it had become a burden. In fact there was specified 39 areas in which a person was prohibited to work. These are:
1. Carrying
2. Burning
3. Extinguishing
4. Finishing
5. Writing
6. Erasing
7. Cooking
8. Washing
9. Sewing
10. Tearing
11. Knotting
12. Untying
13. Shaping
14. Plowing
15. Planting
16. Reaping
17. Harvesting
18. Threshing
19. Winnowing
20. Selecting
21. Sifting
22. Grinding
23. Kneading
24. Combing
25. Spinning
26. Dyeing
27. Chain-stitching
28. Warping
29. Weaving
30. Unraveling
31. Building
32. Demolishing
33. Trapping
34. Shearing
35. Slaughtering
36. Skinning
37. Tanning
38. Smoothing
39. Marking
This doesn't even touch the areas that they had made restrictions for such as walking. On the sabbath a person was only allowed to walk approx. 3/4 of a mile.
The Good News: Jesus isn't interested in us following a long list of do's and don'ts. He desires to see us being drawn closer to the creator of all things. Jesus wants us to know that the law has a purpose but not to drag us down. the purpose of the law is to show us the depth of our sin and our need for a savior. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:20-26
Jesus wants us to throw off the heavy burden of sin and accept His yoke upon us. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29
Jesus also tells us this, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40
May you remember that Jesus isn't wait for you to get you life straightened before you come to Him but He calls you, "Come Follow Me." Jesus loves you as you are right now and He desires to show you a better way. You can embrace the kingdom of God in your life today through Jesus.
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