Matthew 12:1-8 ~ read what David did

Matthew 12:1-8

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” ³ He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: ⁴ how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? ⁶ I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Wonders and symbols. Like the shape of heart. For many years people thought, maybe until Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simon's dissections this was the shape of a human heart. And now we know it is the shape of a pig heart? Nope, not evan that. And we've known it collectively for about 700 years. And yet it has Such Appeal. What if we are responding in wonder to the shape of our souls? We cannot know this. But our soul is all we have that we carry into eternity. And even to believe in eternity we have to Believe in Jesus Christ.

God tells us something in Matthew 12 about the Grace of God. David built Israel up. Yet God placed David in Bethlehem to grow up - quietly. The youngest of 8 sons, not even called when Samuel showed up to and asked to see all of the children. David relied upon the LORD to be merciful to him and he relied upon HIM best in need. 

Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” 

David trusted God when trouble arrived. He trusted the LORD was not merely provoking him, making provision instead.  Aaron's sons died when they did not sacrifice to the Lord correctly. The difference,  David trusted God, David expected God - delights - in doing Good. David knew God would push good forward in all ways possible. And God gave him leeway.  Why? It was Love. 

Yet when God did punish David, it was for acting without Love. 

Micah 7

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.

What was David - the builder of his relationship with God.  He built with so much trust. He built himself. His father's family. His city. His nation. And sacrificed his family. Because he was flawed. Yet God redeemed that.

Titus 1:1-15
To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

Titus 1:7-9
For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Romans 3:22-29
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

And how shall we know.

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God. 

John 15:22
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you

One of my favorite portions in the Bible is the one leper who turned back to give thanks to Jesus. Deciding there was a reason to go back and thank this MAN who had healed him. His life was amazingly changed. His name is not recorded - yet for 2 millenniums Christians have rejoiced with this healed man. Today I was so touched to wonder why we know Mark 10:46-52 - Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight - How we know the name of Bartimaeus. Because he put his life on hold and he followed Jesus. He just started to follow Jesus the minute he could see. I was thrilled for our Jesus. The Lord! The Lord! The Lord! Jesus.


Father God, help this Nation, our loved ones, the people you give us - to delight in Bartimaeus. Who knew where all his goodness sprang from and knew without doubt - Father God delights in doing good. Help us to keep the Joy of You ever present and in our times of doubt and despair - trust in You in what is unseen - to receive Your blessings in endurance of Hope, Faith and Love. We give our cares up to You. In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †