The Pharisees, however, made a big stink about it, calling what they were doing "harvesting" (They rubbed the husks off with their hands and started eating the grain. v1) which is a ridiculous claim considering they weren't harvesting en masse to feed a village, only what would satisfy their hunger until they got to somebody's mother's house to eat a proper meal.
So what was the real issue here? It's the same old story of a bunch of legalists getting ticked off because someone with freedom through Christ comes along and unreservedly behaves in ways that they themselves could never imagine. Being locked into 'religion' rather than grace, they are envious of this glaring freedom.
To some Christians, ministry comes as naturally as walking casually through a field munching on a handful of grain, it's just part of an everyday lifestyle. Those 'Christians' who are fanatical about the Law see that and become angry and jealous and even become accusatory:
you can't do ministry like that, it's against Army
policy/tradition/spirit. It may offend other 'non-Christian
religious peoples' or endanger our governmental alliances."
Jesus uses King David as an example of someone who was revered and venerated and points out that he and his men were moving in the same spirit when they ate the sacred bread in the Temple. Then He continues by saying "I am the Master of the Sabbath" I say what goes.
How often do we eulogize our founders and their trailblazing, offensive ways with delight and yet turn around and condemn brothers and sisters in faith for following in the same spirit?
"The Holy Spirit of God will reveal to true Salvationists how they can exhibit that practical, loving and self-denying attitude to the straying, sinning and suffering world for which Christ died, which is the hallmark of the genuine Army spirit." Orders and Regulations for Soldiers Chapter 12, Section 1
Case closed.
Ruhani
