The Witness of Jesus
He was condemned by the Pharisees for gathering food on the Sabbath, which technically speaking, was work and a violation of the fourth commandment. His response is to rebuke the Pharisees for being small-minded, for allowing scruples over technical details to cause themselves to miss the heart of God’s law.
“At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.
He answered ... I desire mercy, not sacrifice ...”
(Matthew 12:1-2,7)
So you know Tebow’s heart and have judged him to be a sabbath breaker and false to God?
No, he himself has made his position clear. He judges himself through his associations and actions. And did you take the time to read what I wrote you about _a_ (not 'the') sabbath? Have you read and studied out this and the other passages I noted where Jesus was rebuked by the scrupulous Pharisees? If you have, you are a very quick study. But I think not, because you are reading into the passage something it does not supply.
(1) Here, the Sabbath of Matt. 12:1-8 was a second-first Sabbath (see Lk. 6:1-5 report of the same event), which was Pentecost Sunday of 7 Sivan, A. D. 31.
(2) It was not a Sabbath (7th-day one) in which preparing food was unlawful. (Lev. 23:16-17)
(3)The Pharisees were trying to extend the period of unlawful work into the first day of the work, and they misstated the law.
(4) Jesus' response was to point out their overreach of the Law. The Law did not say that no work was to be done on a Sabbath, only that no servile work (like Tebow's) was to be done.
(5) The dechaffing of the grain to assuage immediate hunger was not, for the disciples, servile work. It was necessary, seeing that no meal-preparation work had been taking place since the last Friday afternoon. This was Sunday.
(6) Even so, the passage only indicated that it was the disciples that were feeding themselves thusly on a day which they could do so lawfully. (see Lev. 23:4-22) Could it be that Jesus was nevertheless quietly fasting on this day of holy convocation?
(7) Note that this was not frittering away their time in temporal pursuits. The disciples were meeting with The Christ for instruction in things of eternal benefit. They were not playing matzos ball! (big grin)
(8) Note that they were not stealing someone else's grain, nor were they accused of that by the Pharisees. They were availing themselves of the provision of Lev. 23:22, the gleaners' portion.
(9) Just 6 days later, on a another, different (heteros) Sabbath, a seventh day Sabbath, Jesus healed a man in the synagogue where he was teaching, and was criticized by the Pharisees for that.
(10) In answering the false conjecture, he invoked the principle of explicit necessary labor (vs. implicit unnecessary pursuits that would take learners away from his teachings).
For the sincere Christian, the first day of the week is always a holy convocation, with a sound Scriptural backing, in which the Remembrance Supper is partaken, in which the Lord's resurrection is memorialized, and which is modeled after the first Christian Pentecost. It therefore is a day in which unnecessary labor is shunned so that God can get our full attention in at least one day of every seven-day cycle.
Is it that you and the Nevadan are trying to diminish the significance of this day of holy convocation? to the degree to where chasing unnecessary labor, entertainment, and foolish diversions can be of equal and justifiable merit as having fellowship with The God, the brethren, one's family, and quiet rest? Are you trying to do that by wresting the Holy Scripture to fit your hypothesis, your preferences, and the worldlings' standards? How does your theological approach here stack up with Peter's counsel? (2 Pet. 3:16-17) Is your doctrine of the Sabbath one which you learned under a wise discipler, or is it just an impression/opinion you have gained alone by a quick reading to prop up your thesis? without context and without guidance?
In questioning this, I am not condemning, just stating facts and asking questions. The facts do the judging, as they did in Jesus' exchange with the Pharisees.
And why are you determined, like the Pharisees, to try to bring down someone who is upholding legitimate Christian standards, and contending for The Faith? How much do you like Sunday football?
I'm done with this subject, and will not accept your rebuke on it. But with regard --