There is something special about the Lord’s Day. It is a day that has been set apart by God, for His purposes, and for our good. But like many of the gifts of God, it can be misunderstood and tainted by our desire to control it. This temptation has come to God’s people for many years; in fact, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day thought that they were doing God a favor by the way they tried to control the Sabbath. They were passionate about the Sabbath, but passionate for their thoughts and desires, not the Lord’s. So it is not surprising that there were several occasions of controversy between the Pharisees and Jesus about the Sabbath. In Luke 6 we see two of them, as Jesus’ disciples walk through a field and as Jesus heals a man. As we think about these incidents, it is useful for us not just to berate the Pharisees in our minds for their foolishness, nor just to cheer Jesus on for His correction of them. What we must do is think about our own view of both the Lord’s Day, and “The Lord of the Lord’s Day” (Luke 6:1-11).

I. First Controversy: The Field
A. The Picky Accusation
B. Jesus’ Purposeful Answer

II. Second Controversy: The Healed Hand
A. Hoping for a Trap
B. The Searching Question

III. The Heart of the Controversies
A. Hard Hearts Revealed
B. The Restorer of Hands and Hearts

Questions for consideration: (1) What is your attitude toward God’s Law? Are you tempted to use it against others, or ignore it for your own benefit? (2) How should our view of Jesus affect our view and practice of the Lord’s Day? How does it in your life? (3) What do you do on the Lord’s Day to be a blessing to others?