Key Text: He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath (Mark 2:27-28).
Scribes (professional interpreters of the Old Testament) , Pharisees (known for their devotion to ceremonial law), and Publicans (a despised profession in Palestine and who collected taxes over what Rome required and allowed to keep) looked for ways to discredit Jesus during his Galilean Ministry Mark 2 – 3. Many publicans became wealthy at the expense of their own people. It is likely that Matthew was already convicted of his sin and recognized his need for forgiveness. His dedication or rededication to Christ without reparative justice would be a form of idolatry. Additionally, followers of John the Baptist had yet to transfer their alliance to Jesus (Acts 19:7). At this time, John was already in prison. The object of Jesus’ call is the person who is sinful but thinks he is righteous and refuses to acknowledge his need to repent of his sin. “I came not to call the righteous” v 17, affirms the New Testament that all are depraved and under sin. So, “the disciples of John and of the Pharisees” (Mark 2:18) used “fasting” (a sign of mourning, especially for sin) as an opportunity to find fault with Jesus who dined with Matthew (the Publican) and not fasting according to Leviticus 23:26 Law.
Jesus likened himself to the bridegroom ushering in a new Kingdom of joy, not mourning. Since the bridegroom was with His disciples, they had no need to fast v 19 and they could rejoice with their Master. In the new Kingdom, the way to God is not found in religious practices but through a joyful relationship with Jesus. It should be noted that the disciples’ joy would turn to sorrow at the departure of Jesus v 20. Christ’s illustrations about the new cloth and the new wine present a principle to which fasting may be related: A patch of new cloth could pull the old garment apart. New wine expands as it ages and an old wine sack would have already reached its limit. Christ brought principles that stretched the Old Testament law. For instance, Jesus said that a man can murder by hating. God is not about hate, oppression, and other social ills which keeps others from “life and the pursuit of happiness” and the salvation of our Lord and Savior. Major denominations continue to endorse and justify sinful acts by misrepresenting scripture; and, in the process they attack what the throne of God is built on – DEI. Anything less is religious hypocrisy and their worship according to God, is an abomination.
The scribes and Pharisees developed strict rules about what could and could not be done on the Sabbath. For example, it was illegal to do virtually any work on the Sabbath, a capital crime Exodus 31:14. Jesus referred to David who was allowed an exception from the priest to violate Mosaic law v 25. Could the divine Son of Man wield the same authority and much more? Jesus was showing that He, as the Son of Man, is Lord also of the Sabbath. Jesus has absolute authority over the Sabbath, and its regulations. Jesus was asserting His authority by declaring that the value of the Sabbath is not in mere ceremonial practices but in the benefit it provides to humanity. AMEN!
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