Daily Devotional for Monday, March 16

The Legalist and the Sabbath

“And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him,” Luke 14:1.

The phrase “getting a seat at the table” has recently become very popular and often overused in American culture. It communicates the desire for inclusion, influence and the ability to participate in decision-making. Jesus ate at many different tables during His ministry. Whether eating with publicans, sinners, Pharisees or disciples, He used the time to teach those He was with and to call them to a change of mind regarding their sin. Jesus never came to a table in order to affirm the sins of those with who He ate. In Scripture, the only ones He ever shared a table with that He commissioned to do His work were His disciples.

In this text, the table was a trap laid by the Pharisees in hopes that they would be able to indict Jesus with the sin of breaking the Sabbath. This was a table full of virtue signalers and hypocrites who used the Law for their own agendas. They would even use the sick, the disabled and the vulnerable as pawns in their evil schemes.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

No matter what table Jesus was at He used the opportunity to teach the Word and call people to repentance. Be salt and light in your circles today.

Jonathon D. Smith