
Have you ever plucked a ripe head of wheat, rolled it in the palm of your hands, and with a little puff, blown away the chaff? Did you pop those grains into your mouth to enjoy the flavor and texture? Delicious and nutritious!
That’s what Peter did. “At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain” (Matthew 12:1).
Peter may have been shocked, embarrassed, and probably defensive, when the religious elite accused him of breaking the law. They pointed their self-righteous fingers at the disciples and said, “see, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:2).
Picking and eating the grain wasn’t against the law. As a matter of fact, Moses’ law specifically allowed it. “When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck heads of grain with your hand” (Deuteronomy 23:25). Harvesting grain wasn’t the issue. The Sabbath… that was the problem!
The Pharisees and scribes had accumulated volumes of man-made laws, many of them concerning what could and couldn’t be done on the Sabbath. The religious nitpickers were splitting hairs as they accused Peter and his pals of harvesting on the Sabbath day!
Jesus came quickly to their defense. Using the Old Testament, Jesus pointed out that God isn’t concerned with their legal technicalities. Quoting from Hosea, Jesus declared, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matthew 12:7; Hosea 6:6). God puts compassion before religious ritual!
Stunningly, Jesus then declared Himself to be the Sovereign Creator. “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).
Peter must have remembered what Jesus said just before they entered the grainfield on that Sabbath day. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
“Come to me.” Rest! Rest with Jesus!
“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).

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