Sick of Religion? Devotional Day 2

DAY 2 – Tuesday

Daily devotional

Read

1 Samuel 21:1-6; Mark 2:23-28

Ask

Read about “what David did” in 1 Samuel 21:1-6 to understand the background to Jesus’ comments on the Sabbath. How is Jesus’ interpretation of Sabbath work radical compared to the Pharisees and yet still consistent with the Scriptures?

Reflect

Have you ever done something because you thought you could get away with it? What made you think you could get away with it? Likely you had heard of someone else doing it who didn’t suffer the consequences of their actions.

In Mark 2:23-28 when Jesus and his disciples are blamed for wrongdoing, we see Jesus point back to David, one who got away with breaking religious law. Jesus, however, does not point to David as an excuse for his own “wrongdoing.” As we look at the passages today, we need to ask two questions: Who is David? and Why is Jesus comparing himself with David?

Who is David?

David was the second anointed king of Israel. He was remembered as a good king who exercised great authority. It was well known that David was an ancestor of the coming Messiah (see 2 Sam. 7:12-13; Luke 1:32) who would restore the kingdom and establish his throne (rule) forever. As 1 Sam. 21:1-6 records, even this great David broke the religious law by eating the bread of the Presence as he and his men were tired and hungry on the run from those seeking to kill him. David, however, was not punished for this wrongdoing.

Why is Jesus comparing himself with David?

Is Jesus admitting that he was in the wrong as David was in the wrong? No. As we saw yesterday, Jesus and his disciples were likely not in the wrong for their actions. As to why Jesus refers to the story with David, James Edwards suggests that it “begins to define Jesus’ authority as the royal Son of God anticipated since the reign of David.”[1] Jesus is using Scripture to show his authority, namely an authority which far surpasses even that of David who was allowed to break the ceremonial law.

[1] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, Pillar New Testament Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 96.