Seeing Skinny Jesus

6 On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored.11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6)

When you are looking through a slitted box or bag or any other headcovering, you can only see a sliver of the big picture.  That's the way these religious leaders were with Jesus. They only saw Him with this narrow view they had created to evaluate life and criticize others.  They viewed him as a Sabbath-breaker challenging their authority.  They were right on the latter, but not the first.  They missed God's view of the Sabbath, and his view on the sanctity of human life, as well as how He viewed them and their self-perception. Jesus invited them, and invites us to take off the bag and the the way God does - to view ourselves, others, and Him and His will in a whole new light - full daylight. May we see Jesus not as a skinny Sabbath-breaker, but our great big God.