Mark 2:23-24

Passage

One Sabbath day Jesus and His disciples were out walking around.  They went through some grain fields, and Jesus’ disciples plucked some heads of grain.  Immediately the Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciples as living in a way that contradicted the Law.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

We’ll get to the legal debate tomorrow.  For today, we’re going to focus on the set-up.  First, notice that Jesus was out and about with His disciples on the Sabbath.  They were spending time learning from Jesus.  They were hanging out with Him.  To put it fairly shallowly, they were letting Jesus rub off on them.  However you want to phrase it, Jesus was teaching a fundamental point of discipleship.  If you want to become like the teacher, you must spend time with the teacher.  You must talk with the teacher.  You must engage in life with the teacher.  Discipleship is not gleaned by reading a book or watching a self-help video (although these things can be good supplements as tools).  True discipleship is done person-to-person in the flesh.

Why is this an important point to understand?  Do we live in a culture that promotes spending time with one another?  How is Jesus’ example really countercultural to modern life?

Second Thought:

Also, notice that this was a Sabbath.  The Sabbath was a day for following God.  In fact, elsewhere in the Bible Jesus makes a strong case for the Sabbath not being so much about rest as it is actually about doing the Lord’s work.  It is absolutely rest from the work of the world, but it is not rest from the work of the Lord.  So we see here that not only is Jesus teaching His disciples that discipleship is done person-to-person but we also see that discipleship is indeed the Lord’s work.  Discipleship is what we are supposed to be doing when we are engaging in the Lord’s work.  Discipleship is absolutely “Sabbath-material.”  Training others in the ways of Christ is precisely what we should be doing when we are resting from the labors of the world.

What is challenging about this teaching?  Have you ever heard the expression, “No rest for the weary?”  How does that expression tie in with what Jesus seems to be demonstrating here?  As you are reading through the Gospel of Mark, how much time does it seem like Jesus really devotes to discipleship?

Third Thought:

Once again we see the Pharisees going after Jesus’ followers.  At least this time they are talking directly to Jesus!  The reality is, however, that the disciples continue to be a focus of their attacks.  The Pharisees may be trying to drive a wedge between Jesus and His disciples.  They may be trying to discredit them as followers or even discredit Jesus as a teacher.  But perhaps the most important point to take away from these few verses is that when we are going about the Lord’s work, we can expect to be attacked.

Why is it important to understand that we should expect to be attacked as we go about the Lord’s work?  Why do you think the attack comes?  Do attacks always come from “the enemy?”  What is the best way to avoid being attacked as well as work through the attack when it comes?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 2:25-28