Athority of Jesus
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Mark 2:23-28
23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Introduction
For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely he would not be wrong. Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did until nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death. In 1589 Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off a ten-pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant. The power of belief was so strong, however, that the professors disbelieved what they saw. They said Aristotle was right. I believe that this illustrates perfectly what is going on in the world today. You can show someone a diseased liver and people are going to abuse alcohol regardless of the facts.
But then I am reminded that when Galileo did that no one believed him. Even with the authority of obvious visible proof, i.e. the 2 weights reached the ground at the same time, the professors did not believe. The problem here is obvious. Most people are going to believe what they have always believed regardless of the facts. But something different occurred in the life of Jesus. Something persuasive.
Mark records that one day Jesus (prob in Capernaum) walked thro grainfields on the Sabbath and went into entered the synagogue after that (Mark 3) the crowds were astounded and the Pharisees challenged him about something he did. Why?
One word. Authority. He taught, not as the Pharisees taught, but as one having authority.
What was it that convinced them? What did they hear and see in the life of Jesus that made him stand above all others. Why were peopled drawn to him? (see Mk1v28)
[1] First he had authority because his teaching was relevant.
[2] Second he had authority because he spoke with authority
[3] Thirdly, he had authority because he had effect
[1] His teaching was relevant.
The criticism concerns the disciples plucking ears of grain on the Sabbath.
There are 39 forbidden activities on the Sabbath and the 3rd one is reaping (Ex34v21).
Jesus reply is interesting: he asks a question (based on 1 Sam 21v1-6) David had taken the bread from the holy table in the tabernacle and given to his soldiers (normally only priests).
Jesus new teaching was that human need was more important than ritual requirements. Jesus challenges then to choose between David’s practice and religious ritual.
NB Jesus doesn’t defend the breaking of the Sabbath he simply states that there is another principle here – human need…. This is the 1st claim of any hospital … human need … if ever your religion stops you helping someone in need, showing compassion, caring serving others then that religion is irreligious.
The real ‘risk’ in Jesus response is in v28 The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath – here he (early in his ministry) is giving a clue to who he really is – (the Lord of all life :. God in flesh).
[2] He spoke with authority
Even his opponents acknowledged Jesus had authority – they addressed their complaint to him and not the disciples. This began the opposition that rapidly develops.
Jesus showed great wisdom in the way he handled this situation.
Notice his authority in how he responds, ‘have you not read what David did?’
It’s an authority that compelled the disciples to follow and he calls us to follow… not his teachings but follow him – Jesus our Lord. Like an early story of a missionary in the jungle who got lost with nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He finally found a village and asked if someone could lead him out of the jungle. A village leader said "yes," They walked for hours hacking their way through the jungle. The missionary began to worry and said, "Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?" The native said. "Bwana, there is no path. I am the path."
Our path through the jungle of this world is Jesus Christ. We may have Rabbis, Father's and Reverends but we are all like the missionary.We rely not upon men but Christ he is ‘our path’
[3] He had effect
Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s book The First Circle, wrote about how Russia handles the church.
He writes "No one stops them from ringing their bells; They can have their processions with the cross. But they will NOT allow them to have any connection with social or civic affairs." Church was allowed to be religious; it could have a presence, but it dare not have an effect.
Jesus Christ had an effect. When he went to the synagogue, the man with the ‘withered hand’ stretched it forth! Jesus has an effect on our lives, he transforms us.
Just ask Peter who was transformed at Pentecost, (Samuel reading), ask the apostle Paul, ask Martin Luther, ask Isaac Watts.
What bothered the Pharisees was not that Jesus allowed his followers to pick grain or healed on the Sabbath. It was the fact that his message was having an effect, moving the people to action (with us and in us). So often our problem is not that we do not have the authority of our bibles, it is that we do not use the authority that we have. How do we move from seeing our problems to begin applying the power of God to the problems? That’s the effect Jesus can have in our lives. Now we need to have an effect (the ball is in our courts). We can talk about Jesus’ authority or we can say Jesus is Lord (my) with us and in us. Surely that changes everything!
