The Sabbath Debate

By Mary Vee
Luke 14

Peter

Sun setting in Israel
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter. 

I am with Jesus and the other disciples at the home of an important Pharisee. We have been served a Sabbath meal.

Other Pharisees and people walking by the home have been welcomed to this meal also.

It seemed to me that the Pharisees arranged this meeting with plenty of witnesses for a reason. Like they planned to catch Jesus in a mistake.

There was a man who sat near Jesus. He had a painful physical problem. His joints had become swollen which made moving extremely painful. 

Jesus turned to the important Pharisees, and said to them, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath?"

The religious scholars didn't answer, but they watched what Jesus would do about the situation.

Jesus called the sick man to him and healed him. "Go home. You are healed."

Jesus looked at those in the room. "If a child or animal suddenly fell into a well, is there anyone in this room who wouldn't stop what they were doing and run to help him out, no matter the day? Even a Sabbath?"

Again the religious scholars and Pharisees said nothing. From the look on their face, they did not know the right answer to give.

Come back to read the next story.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Why The Pharisees Lost a Debate with A Blind Man

By Mary Vee
John 9 

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee. View from the Mount of Olives facing
the Temple area

My name is Peter, I am a disciple of Jesus. 

A few moments ago, Jesus healed a blind man. He told his friends and neighbors. They didn't believe he was the same man who had been blind all those years. 

The Jews took the man to the Pharisees who asked the man, "How is it that you can see when you have been blind?"

The man answered, "A man named Jesus put mud on my eyes and told me to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. I did as he said, and now I see."

The Pharisees shook their heads and whispered to each other before saying, "Jesus cannot have come from God as He claims. This is the Sabbath, a day in which we are to rest. Healing this man is an act of work. He has disobeyed the Law of Moses."

Some of the people in the crowd asked, "If that is so, then how can a sinner do such a miraculous sign?"

The two groups argued for some time. They finally turned to the blind man and asked, "Tell us about this man, Jesus. It was your eyes that you claim he opened."

The man said, "Jesus is a prophet."

The Jews standing there still didn't believe that the man standing before them used to be blind. They sent for his parents to come and settle the matter. The Pharisees asked them, "Is this your son?"

The man and wife looked at the one who said he used to be blind. "Yes. He is our son."

The Pharisees still did not seem satisfied. They asked, "Is this the one you say was born blind. If that is so, explain to us how he can see right now?"

The father shook his head. "I know my son. This is him. He has been blind since birth. As for how he is able to see now, or who was it that caused him to see, I don't know. Ask him. He is old enough to answer your question. Let him speak for himself." 

The parents were afraid of these Jews. The Pharisees had announced: anyone acknowledging Jesus as the Christ would be banished from the synagogue. 

Photo by Mary Vee.
The pool where people came to be healed.
Jerusalem

The Pharisees called the man who had been bind again and said, "Give glory to God. We know this man, Jesus, is a sinner."

The healed man said, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I have no idea. But this I know, I was blind but now I see!"

The Pharisees said, "Tell us what he did. How did he open your eyes?"

"I told you already and you didn't listen. Why should I tell you again? Do you want to become one of his disciples?"

This made the Pharisees very angry. "You are a disciple of Jesus. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, Jesus, we don't even know where he comes from."

Photo by Mary Vee
The blind man wasn't the only person
Jesus healed. This sign is near the pool
shown above. Jerusalem

The man who had been blind said, "Now isn't that amazing! You say you don't know where Jesus comes from, yet he opened my eyes and gave me sight. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man did not come from God, he couldn't do any miracle. 

The Pharisees said, "You were full of sin at birth. That is what made you blind. How dare you lecture us as though you are smarter than us!" They grabbed the man who had been blind and tossed him out of the temple area."

The battle isn't over. 

What happened next? Next week I will tell you more. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

What Can We Do on the Sabbath?

By Mary Vee
Matthew 12, Mark 2, Luke 6

From Matthew's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee
Jerusalem

My name is Matthew. I am a disciple of Jesus. I am here with other disciples, so they may add something to what I share today. 

We were just at the temple today. Before that, Jesus healed a lame man, He has also had a discussion with the leaders of the Temple. You can read about these events in last week's story. 

This is still the Sabbath and we are hungry. Jesus, who always thought of our needs, led us out to the cornfields where we found food.

It happens that the Jewish leaders who debated with Jesus earlier followed us. I think they were looking for a reason to argue with Him.

As we walked along the cornfields, we picked some heads of grain and ate them. Only seconds passed before the Pharisees moved closer to Jesus. "Look!" they shouted, pointing at us. "Your disciples are disobeying the law on the Sabbath."

The Sabbath was to be a day of rest when Jews did not boil water, create anything, agree to a contract, cut flowers, or break anything. It was a day, set aside, to think of God and all He has given to us, to have peace, and a time of rest.

Jesus looked at us eating the grain then back at the Pharisees. He said, "Haven't you read what David did when he and the men with him became hungry? David entered the house of God, and he and his men ate the bread set aside for God, which, as you know, was not lawful for them to do. Only the priests were allowed to eat that bread. 

"Or what about yourselves. Don't you and the other priests do work in the Temple on the Sabbath, which is breaking the law, but is allowed?

"I am here to tell you that One who is greater than the Temple is here. 

"If you knew what these words from Hosea in the Scripture meant: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice', you would not have condemned these innocent disciples of mine."

Jesus waited for them to say something. When they didn't He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Son of Man has not only authority to heal and cast out demons, He also has authority over the Sabbath."


I'll tell you more about that next time.

Come back to read the next story.

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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.

The Forbidden Day

By Mary Vee
John 5

From John's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee
Jerusalem

My name is John. I am a disciple of Jesus. I am here with other disciples, so they may add something to what I share today. 

We just left the pool of Bethesda and walked toward the temple. This is the Sabbath. A day when so much is forbidden. I say this because none of this would have happened on another day. 

Who dictates what is forbidden on the Sabbath? Mostly the priests, pharisees, and Rabbis. 

Scriptures tell us to rest and remember this day or set aside our regular routine and treat this day special, one to honor God. The leaders of the temple have made the requirements for what is acceptable to do on this day ridiculous. To disagree with them is to make them angry and we don't want to make them angry, they get mean. 

Jesus, only moments ago healed a man who hadn't been able to walk for thirty-eight years. Jesus told him he should pick up his mat, which meant he wouldn't have to come sit by this healing pool anymore, and walk, which meant he could work and care for himself. 

The leaders who saw the man carrying the mat questioned him, asking who told him to carry his mat. I have a sneaky feeling they didn't even notice this man could walk, or realize Jesus had healed this man. The leaders searched for Jesus ready to accuse him of violating the Sabbath.

They stopped Jesus in a court and said, "What right have you to tell that man he could carry anything on the Sabbath? This violates the Sabbath laws."

Now, most people would step back, maybe look at the ground when these leaders yelled and accused them of violating the law. Not Jesus. He looked them square in the eyes and said, "My Father is always at work, even to this day, so I am working, too."

The leader's faces turned red. Their eyes narrowed. They talked among each other and weren't quiet about it at all. They discussed ways to officially accuse Jesus of what he did and get rid of him. "He isn't just breaking the sacred laws for the Sabbath, he says God is his father, you know what that means. He thinks he is equal to God." 

"Blasphemy," another one said.

They hadn't spoken directly to Jesus, but we all heard them. 

Jesus said, "The truth is this, everything the Son does is because he sees his Father do them. The Father loves the Son and doesn't hide anything from him. And the things you haven't seen yet will be beyond your understanding. You will be amazed. See, the Father can give life to the dead. The Son also gives life to whomever he chooses.

"The Father doesn't judge, instead he has given all judgement to the Son. The reason he has done this is to bring honor to the Son just as honor is given to the Father. So, anyone who doesn't honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him.

"I'm speaking the truth. Eternal life belongs to whoever listens to what I say and believes in the One who sent Me. These are the ones who have nothing to fear judgement because they have crossed over from being dead to being alive.

"I'm telling the truth. A day is coming, in fact it is here, when the voice of the living Son of God will crack open death's dominion and those who hear will live. See, the Father radiates life and energizes the Son of God with the same life giving power to judge all creation.

"Don't be amazed at this because there is coming a time when all who are buried and have lived long ago will hear his voice and rise up. Those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will be raised up and sent to their punishment."

The conversation didn't end here. And the debate was interesting, especially hearing Jesus outwit the Pharisees. 

I'll tell you more about that next time.

Come back to read the next story.

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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.

Nehemiah-The Day The City Gates Closed

By Mary Vee
Nehemiah 13

From Nehemiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

My name is Nehemiah. 

I am visiting back in Jerusalem for the second time. God has burned a desire in me to check on the progress in the city. When I left the last time the walls had been rebuilt, the people had been taught the laws of Moses, and they said they would seek to obey them.

I thought everything would be fine as I returned to my job in Babylon. But I was wrong. I came back and found a huge mess.

First, I found that evil Tobiah living in the Temple and causing trouble then I found the Levites had left their temple duties and returned to plow their gardens because they were hungry. This time I found foreigners bringing their wares through the gates to sell in the city on the Sabbath.

The key word here is Sabbath. I mean, really? Yep. There were men in Judah treading winepresses, bringing in grain, and loading it on donkeys along with wine, grapes, figs, and a bunch of other goods. 

These items were brought through the city gate. Jerusalem's city gate. On the Sabbath. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I went to each one and warned them not to sell food on that day. Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem brought in fish and other merchandise to sell in the city on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.

I called a meeting of the nobles after the last cart left the city. "What are you doing?" 

The nobles looked at me like I was crazy. "People need to eat. The venders have come to sell food and a few other necessities."

"You know better than this. In the Law of Moses we are clearly told to honor the Sabbath. What is the matter with you? This is a wicked thing you are doing. You're desecrating the Sabbath. Didn't your forefathers do the same thing? It displeased God so much most of the nation ended up being hauled off into slavery. Now look at you. Promoting the buying and selling on the Sabbath as if we'd never learned our lessons. Do you want Jerusalem burned to the ground again?"

They shook their heads. No one said a word. But that evening I made sure the law would be obeyed. I went to the gates and ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

Once or twice merchants and sellers spent the night outside Jerusalem. I warned them. "Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do it again, I will have you hauled away."

From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. 

I ordered the Levites to purify themselves then guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

One more problem solved. 

I prayed to God, "Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love."

Somehow I have the feeling this wasn't the last problem that needed fixing. Sheesh.

Come back next time, because interesting tales happen in Jerusalem in days to come.
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sources: New International Version, New King James Version