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BingoBoy
Guest
What did Jesus mean when he said this and how does it apply to other moral issues?
Thanks for the responses.
Thanks for the responses.
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Debora123
Guest
Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Jesus said this to the Pharisees after they criticized him for allowing his disciples to pick some grain on the Sabbath day.
The Pharisees were upset, because according to the letter of the law, people are not supposed to do any kind of work on the Sabbath, and picking grain is considered a type of work.
As for what it means morally?
I’d say Jesus was putting the Pharisees back in their place for being legalistic and putting the importance of this law above the importance of the greater good of the people. I think some people can get very legalistic when it comes to the letter of the law, and this line from Jesus is a wake up call to this sort of behavior.
The Pharisees were upset, because according to the letter of the law, people are not supposed to do any kind of work on the Sabbath, and picking grain is considered a type of work.
As for what it means morally?
I’d say Jesus was putting the Pharisees back in their place for being legalistic and putting the importance of this law above the importance of the greater good of the people. I think some people can get very legalistic when it comes to the letter of the law, and this line from Jesus is a wake up call to this sort of behavior.
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Waiting
Guest
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bmullins
Guest
That God created the Sabbath for our benefit, not us for the Sabbaths’ purpose. The pharisees were putting the Sabbath as a need for God, as if he needed us to rest, when rather God was looking after our needs (eating which is one of those, caring, love etc) by giving us rest we so rightly need after a week of work. God didn’t need to rest, he did it for us. It gave us a way to emulate him while at the same time giving us what we need.
As to how it applies morally in our lives, we should view all of the ‘rules’ as gifts from God. They are not there because God ‘needs’ us to do them, but because God knows they are best for us and that we need to do them to be good, loving people. That things like the Sacrament of Reconciliation are not a punishment but a gift of grace, given to us not because God has a ‘need’ for us to be reconciled to Him, but because He knows WE need it.
As to how it applies morally in our lives, we should view all of the ‘rules’ as gifts from God. They are not there because God ‘needs’ us to do them, but because God knows they are best for us and that we need to do them to be good, loving people. That things like the Sacrament of Reconciliation are not a punishment but a gift of grace, given to us not because God has a ‘need’ for us to be reconciled to Him, but because He knows WE need it.
J
JRKH
Guest
Excellent answers so far.
As I so often do, I go back to Mt 22:36-40 where Jesus says that All of the law is built on the two great commandments of Love and the Law must be understood in the light of Love - Agape.
Many times we will have discussions here about various commandment and rules etc…Like mass attendance or telling a “lie”…for instance. Very often these discussions will include “exceptions to the rule”. These exceptions are there as a result of properly understanding a law in the light of Agape.
Jesus, in just these few words, told us all to measure all by Love.
Peace
James
As I so often do, I go back to Mt 22:36-40 where Jesus says that All of the law is built on the two great commandments of Love and the Law must be understood in the light of Love - Agape.
Many times we will have discussions here about various commandment and rules etc…Like mass attendance or telling a “lie”…for instance. Very often these discussions will include “exceptions to the rule”. These exceptions are there as a result of properly understanding a law in the light of Agape.
Jesus, in just these few words, told us all to measure all by Love.
Peace
James
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animalis
Guest
A careful look at “for” gives some insight. With “for” we can also ask “for what reason?”, or rather what is the reason contained in the object of the “for”.
What is the reason of Man? What is the reason of the Sabbath?
We tend to place our own good on the people we love. Our own reasons into a set of reasons already established. The Jews done this to the Sabbath. And we can do this to the Mass.
What is the reason of Man? What is the reason of the Sabbath?
We tend to place our own good on the people we love. Our own reasons into a set of reasons already established. The Jews done this to the Sabbath. And we can do this to the Mass.
K
kkollwitz
Guest
In particular Jesus was drawing a distinction between The LORD’s general instruction to keep the Sabbath (day of rest); and the 39 prohibitions about the Sabbath which were unduly restrictive, and ultimately worked against the point of having a day of rest.
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