This morning I felt led to read from Matthew's Gospel, which is probably my favorite synoptic Gospel. Anyway, I started reading chapter 12 and was immediately captured by the first verse. I am going to add the following verses, as I think they are clearly related. Anyway, here are the verses - Matthew 12:1-14 NIV:
[1] "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. [2] When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
[3] He answered, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? [4] He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread---which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. [5] Or haven't you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? [6] I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. [7] If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. [8] For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
[9] Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, [10] and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
[11] He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? [12] How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
[13] Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. [14] But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus."
I have read this verse many times, and just always pass over the first verse, without thinking much about it, as it sets the stage for the next 14 verses. However, today when I read it the significance of Matthew's narration hit me, the disciples were hungry on the sabbath! They were so hungry that they were picking heads of grain to eat. In other words, their sabbath preparations had not been sufficient to tide them over to the following day!
We don't think much about preparing meals on a Sunday, but the Jews, if living strictly by the Law, were supposed to have done all that work the day prior to the sabbath, so that they would do no work on the Sabbath day, which included cooking or baking and gathering of the food necessary, which were included in the 39 prohibited activities (See references to the Mishnah Shabbat 7:2 ). The disciples clearly had not accomplished this correctly and thus they were hungry!
Think about that for a minute, the followers closest to Jesus were hungry for food. Jesus could have provided food himself with a couple of loaves of bread or fish, but instead they were allowed to become hungry. Often times I don't think much of the need to feed and shelter a whole group of followers, and little is mentioned about that in scripture, other than the few miracles of multiplying food for the large groups. The series "The Chosen" actually includes some images of the group having to set up and tear down their camps, and I thought that was helpful, for we can sometimes overlook the practical needs of Jesus and His followers. Paul speaks about his being hungry (Phil 4:12) and it was clear his missionary life was filled with difficulties, but I just never spent much time thinking about the daily realities the disciples and Jesus faced regularly.
As Jesus was clearly the leader, one would think that He took caring for his followers very seriously. We have several scriptures where He speaks of just that, and in John 10, He speaks of His role as the Good Shepherd - John 10:14,27-29 NIV:
[14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me---
[27] "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."
Clearly, He took his responsibility to His "sheep" seriously. A shepherd's primary role was the feeding and caring for the sheep, leading them to places they could eat and drink, and find shelter if necessary, and providing protection. In light of this, I guess, I just always figured Jesus had a plan and would direct His disciples on where to procure food and shelter for them, when needed, much as I think the same way about God as my provider. We see in the Old Testament, God providing manna and quail to eat, water to drink, etc. for the 40 years they were in the desert. I guess I always figured that Jesus as the Father's representative and exact representation (Heb 1:3) would have taken a similar approach to providing for His followers. While we can't know for sure and apply this scripture to all 3 years, we can at least say, they were allowed to become hungry one sabbath, and that should give us pause for reflection.
Our own hunger, be it physical or spiritual, is not a sign that that God isn't caring for us correctly! Our hunger should drive us closer to the Lord, rather than away from Him. Sometimes I allow my disappointment over my hunger for provision (often the fruitfulness of my labor) to cause me to doubt my relationship with Jesus, like its all His responsibility to keep me well fed. Jesus called people on the carpet for following Him just to get fed (John 6:26-27). He is after followers who are hungry for relationship, not for food (either physical or spiritual). He knows our needs, and He is the Good Shepherd after all, but He is more interested in friends, those who know Him and can represent Him (John 15:15)! We must allow our hunger to cause us to turn our eyes toward Him, to recognize that hunger is not a bad thing, but that it causes us to open our eyes, turn toward Him and encounter Him in new ways!
Continuing the reflection, Jesus then leads His disciples to the temple where he proceeds to confront the sabbath rules by healing a man who, as far as we know, wasn't even asking to be healed. Jesus was demonstrating His relationship to the Father, His authority over the Law, and the teachings of the Rabbis, and His love and affection for those who needed Him, even if they didn't know Him! He was showing the disciples that there was more to relationship with Him than just following the rules of the Law, but that His concern and care superseded the Law. He is the Messiah, He is the Son of Man, and He is Lord over the Law!
Our invitation is to follow Jesus into relationship, into the place of friendship! This is beyond the rules of religion, beyond the practice of our faith, into the place of intimate relationship! Our physical hunger and our spiritual hunger are meant to draw us to Him, not for the filling of our hunger but for the encountering of Him relationally!
Oh Lord, help us to look to You, to meet You and to experience Your love for us!
Amen!
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