Luke 6:1 - Meaning and Application

These two stories also appear in Matthew and Mark, and those writers place them together (Matthew 12:1; Mark 2:23; Mark 3:1). Even though they happened some time apart, both were meant to correct the scribes’ and Pharisees’ mistakes about the Sabbath day. They put too much weight on bodily rest and demanded more strictness than God intended.

First, Christ defended his disciples in a work of necessity. They were plucking heads of grain to eat because they were hungry on that day. Luke adds a time note that the other evangelists do not give: it was on the “second sabbath after the first” (Luke 6:1). Some think this means the first Sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread, when the seven weeks toward Pentecost were counted. Whether that is right or not, the exact detail is not important.

We can still learn several things from the account. Christ’s disciples should not be overly fussy about food, especially on the Sabbath. They should be content with what is easiest to get and be thankful for it. These disciples simply plucked grain and ate it, and a little was enough for them.

We also see how often people who are guilty of serious sins are quick to criticize harmless actions in others (Luke 6:2). The Pharisees complained that the disciples were doing what was not lawful on the Sabbath, while they themselves enjoyed rich food on that day more than on others. Jesus Christ will defend his disciples when others wrongly accuse them, and he will accept what people say is forbidden when it is truly innocent. It is a comfort to know that men are not our judges, and that Christ is our Advocate.

God’s ceremonial commands, meaning outward religious regulations for Israel, could be set aside in cases of need. David was given the showbread, which normally belonged only to the priests, when Providence brought him into a tight place and he had no other food (Luke 6:3, 4). If God’s own appointed rules could be set aside for a greater good, then human traditions can be set aside all the more. Works of necessity are allowed on the Sabbath, but we must be careful not to use that freedom to excuse laziness or disregard for God’s day.

Jesus also made it clear that, though necessary work is allowed, the Sabbath still belongs to him and should be used in his service and honor (Luke 6:5). “The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” In the kingdom of the Redeemer, the Sabbath day is to become the Lord’s day. In some respects its use is changed, and it is now to be kept mainly in honor of the Redeemer, just as it had been before in honor of the Creator (Jeremiah 16:14, 15). As a sign of this, it has a new name, the Lord’s day, though it is still a Sabbath of rest, and it is moved to a new day, the first day of the week.

Second, Christ also defended himself in doing works of mercy on the Sabbath. He entered the synagogue, the Jewish place of worship, on the Sabbath day. It is our duty, when we have the chance, to keep Sabbaths holy by meeting in religious gatherings. There should be a holy assembly on the Sabbath, and we should not stay away without a very good reason.

In the synagogue, he taught on the Sabbath. Receiving instruction from Christ, and giving attention to it, is fitting work for the Sabbath and for the synagogue. Christ took every opportunity to teach, not only his disciples but also the crowd. One of his hearers was the man he would heal, a man whose right hand was withered. We are not told that he expected healing, but those who want Christ’s grace must also be willing to learn Christ’s teaching.

Among the people listening to Christ and seeing his miracles were others who came only to trap him (Luke 6:7). The scribes and Pharisees did not warn him fairly that they would treat Sabbath healing as breaking the fourth commandment. They should have done so, because no one had ever cured the way he did. Instead, they watched him like a lion watching its prey, waiting to accuse him and bring a case against him.

Jesus was neither ashamed nor afraid to act in mercy before people who opposed him, and he knew exactly what they were thinking (Luke 6:8). He told the man to rise and stand in front of everyone, which also tested the man’s faith and courage. Then Jesus appealed to their own consciences and asked whether the fourth commandment was meant to keep people from doing good on the Sabbath, the good that is right in front of them and cannot well be delayed (Luke 6:9). “Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath days?” No wicked people are as unreasonable as persecutors, who try to do evil to others because those others are doing good.

He healed the man and restored full use of his right hand with a word, even though he knew his enemies would be offended and would use it against him (Luke 6:10). We should not let persecution pull us away from our duty or our usefulness. His opponents only grew angrier (Luke 6:11). Instead of seeing the miracle and recognizing a teacher sent from God, and instead of loving him as a helper of mankind, they were filled with rage. They were angry because they could not frighten him away from doing good, and they could not stop his influence from growing among the people. When they could not stop this miracle, they began discussing among themselves what they might do to Jesus next.

We may well stand amazed that human beings could be so wicked as to do this, and that the Son of God could be so patient as to allow it.