How do you watch others?  Do you watch to accuse and condemn?  That is what the scribes and Pharisees were doing.

(NASB) Luke 6:7 “The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him.”

The scribes and Pharisees indicted themselves by their very motive and actions.  They were not interested in God at work in the lives of people…they only wanted to find something…anything…with which they could accuse Jesus!

The scribes and the Pharisees (there were exceptions) missed Messiah!  He was living and actively doing the work of God…at that time…and they missed Him.

What was Jesus doing on that Sabbath in a synagogue?

Jesus came to show the Father through His actions and His words.  He took the teachings of the Law and the prophets to a higher (and at the same time, a deeper) level.

Jesus spoke truth.  Jesus Christ’s actions proved God’s words.  God’s word never, ever changes.  It didn’t then and it doesn’t now.

Jesus, the Son of God, lived His life without sinning.  The same could not be said of the scribes, the Pharisees, or of you and me!  We sin against God and this is why we need to confess our sins to God and be forgiven (through faith in Jesus Christ).

Our foundation is Jesus Christ…He is to be our foundation, He is rock solid!  Our foundation gives a basis for living out our faith on a daily basis.  It is not a leap into the unknown.  It is being confident of Immanuel (God with us!).

The scribes and Pharisees immediately jumped to conclusions which were not true, and I don’t believe that the truth of God even mattered to them.

Were they scared of losing their standing among the political leaders of their day? Rome was in control and allowed the Jews to rule themselves from the religious point of view.  The Jewish religious leaders did not want to lose this aspect of their power or to have the crowds turn away from their teachings and leadership.

So, they resorted to what seemed the expedient thing to do…find something…anything… to falsely accuse Jesus.

If you have ever been falsely accused, you know how it hurts, festers, and makes one anxious.  Jesus kept His eyes straight forward, and so should we.

(NASB) Proverbs 4:25 “Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.”

 

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus…”