Thematic Bible: Commandments of men


Thematic Bible




For you know that it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you have been ransomed from the worthless way of life handed down to you by your ancestors,

At that time, Jesus walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat. When the Pharisees saw this, they told him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" But he told them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? read more.
How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved for the priests? Or haven't you read in the Law that on every Sabbath the priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? But I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here! If you had known what "I want mercy and not sacrifice' means, you would not have condemned the innocent, for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

"Why do your disciples disregard the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands when they eat." But he answered them, "Why do you also disregard the commandment of God because of your tradition? Because God said, "You are to honor your father and your mother,' and, "Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.' read more.
But you say, "Whoever tells his father or his mother, "Whatever support you might have received from me has been given to God," does not have to honor his father.' Because of your tradition, then, you have disregarded the authority of God's word.

(The Pharisees and indeed all the Jewish people don't eat unless they wash their hands properly, following the tradition of their elders. They don't eat anything from the marketplace unless they dip it in water. They also observe many other traditions, such as the proper washing of washing cups, jars, brass pots, and dinner tables.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with unclean hands." read more.
He told them, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless, because they teach human rules as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he told them, "You have such a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your own tradition!

One time Jesus was walking through some grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what isn't lawful on Sabbath days?" Jesus answered them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions became hungry? read more.
How was it that he went into the house of God, took the Bread of the Presence and ate it, which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and then gave some of it to his companions?" Then he told them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Once, on another Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue and began teaching. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong. But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue." So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus asked them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?" He looked around at all of them and then told the man, "Hold out your hand." The man did so, and his hand was restored to health. The others were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.


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