Little Thoughts April 9, 2025

By Pastor Sammy Little, First Baptist Church of Stowell

  Jesus’s disciples grabbed them a snack as they passed through some wheat fields and the Pharisees said they were doing what was not lawful on the Sabbath (Matthew 12). Jesus said they were innocent and defended them using an Old Testament story where David and his men were hungry and the priest gave them bread that only priests were to eat. The account tells us what happened but doesn’t tell us whether it was right or wrong, but Jesus’s use shows it was ok. He quoted Hosea, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”, to show that we must always remember the heart of the law is loving God and others, and when we use the law to not care and be unmerciful, we have somehow missed what the law was trying to do. Jesus declares Himself to the Lord of the Sabbath and greater than the Temple. If we focus on the law and rules and ignore Jesus we have somewhere gotten lost. The law is to teach us how to love God and others and when used correctly it is wonderful, but it can not save us. Do not let law and rules prevent you from following Jesus.