Rush to Judgment

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

RUSH TO JUDGMENT

Luke 6:1-5

6:1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" 3 Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."  5 Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." 

NIV

Although the timing of this moment happened on a Sabbath, which so many scholars have focused their attention on which Sabbath it was, the first of the second, or the second of the first and how that related to certain feasts and whatever, of course based on a translation which may or may not have words which are not included in the original Greek text, they have lost sight of the truth which is the purpose of this narrative. There is no doubt it was a Sabbath and the Pharisees felt compelled to complain about the disciples of Jesus picking some grain to eat as they walked through the field. It was not about the property of the grain, but they were working on a Sabbath. It does seem odd that some Pharisees were following Jesus and his disciples through fields on a Sabbath day, when they should be in church or at least at rest, honoring the Sabbath. But instead they were working, judging the actions of others instead of themselves. It is historically recorded the Pharisees did eat rather large on the Sabbath, big prepared feasts, yet they judged men who merely ate out of necessity. A few kernels of grain, certainly nothing like the delicacies eaten by the Pharisees. How quickly we are ready to judge the actions of others all the while excusing our own. As far as Jesus being the Lord of the Sabbath, his disciples may not understood that either, but we, because of the scriptures do. The Pharisees certainly did not accept that statement, but nevertheless it is the truth. Jesus also reminded them about David, one of their beloved kings, the one in fact the Christ would come through. Perhaps this is why Jesus used David as an example of eating on the Sabbath, even that which was consecrated to God. But the truth here, as we have already stated, is about being so quick to judge and overlook our own offenses against God. Certainly the Pharisees had many offenses, although because of their self-righteous attitude, could not or would not admit any to anyone, must less themselves, yet they were looking for opportunity to judge. Had they been in church or at least at home with family being respectful of the Sabbath, they would not have seen the actions of the disciples. But there they were looking for and taking every opportunity to judge and to do so on the Sabbath. Was it lawful to judge on the Sabbath? It is lawful under the old covenant or the new, to judge at all? We know the answer and in both cases it is; no. Judge and be judged. With the same measure we judge we will be judged. It always comes down to the simple question, who is judging who? It is bad enough to judge one another, but to go out of our way to find faults in others, so we can judge them seems even worse. The only result in judging others is to feed our own self-righteousness. It would be to our advantage not to rush to judgment.