To Pluck or Not to Pluck

June 14, 2015

(not eye brows)

Mt. 12:1-14; Mk. 2:23–3:6; Luke 6:1-11 [John 5:9-18]

It is impossible to avoid criticism. Someone has said, “To avoid criticism, don’t say anything; don’t do anything; and don’t be anything.” Actually, even then you will be criticized, because if you don’t do anything, you be criticized for not doing anything!

Jesus was constantly criticized (and still is). Most of the criticisms came from the religious leaders—The Pharisees. He was criticized for healing on the Sabbath… eating with publicans and sinners… and claiming equality with God. Of course, none of these criticisms were justified.

How did Jesus handle criticism? Let’s learn how to deal with criticism from this example from Jesus’ life.

I. The APPETITE of the disciples (Mt. 12:1).

A. The CORN. Critics of the Bible say corn was unknown until Columbus brought it from America.

The word “corn” comes from the word “kern.” It can refer to any kernel of grain (John 12:24).
However,“corn”(maize) has been found sealed in pottery in Egyptian tombs. In 2008, an archaeologist named Gunnar Thompson published his findings that “Indian corn” [maize] was well documented in Egyptian temples, tombs, and scrolls 3,000 years before Columbus, and the farming of corn spread throughout the Mediterranean area (Ancient Egyptian Maize, 2010).1
It doesn’t make any difference if the disciples were eating corn/maize, or kernels of wheat. The point is, they were hungry, and corn was available, so they plucked and ate.

B. The CONDUCT. Plucking of corn was permitted in the law (Dt. 23:25). However, the Pharisees construed it as harvesting.

II. The ACCUSATION of the legalists (Mt. 12:2).

There are those who are always looking to find fault. [Satan is the accuser of the brethren.] The Pharisees were always looking for any one who committed the slightest infraction of their rules.

If the Pharisees were as focused on man’s needs as on seeing their faults, they could have given the disciples some food without having to pluck corn!

A. The accusation was MISDIRECTED.

If someone is doing something wrong, they should be approached directly. The Pharisees were using the disciples as a means to attack Christ. The same thing happens today—If a Christian falls into sin that brings reproach on Jesus Himself.

B. The accusation was UNFOUNDED.

“Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.” Not lawful according to who??? It is only unlawful because of the man-made rules of the religious leaders. The rabbis took the commandment of the sabbath, “thou shalt not do any work,” and defined what constituted “work.” To walk more than 2,000 cubits (1⁄2 mile) was considered “work.” To lift anything heavier than a dried fig was “work.” Jesus called these petty rules “heavy burdens” (Mt. 23:4) and “the commandments of men” (Mt. 15:9).

C. The accusation was HYPOCRITICAL.

1. What were the Pharisees doing in the field anyway? They broke one of their own rules by being more than 2000 cubits away from their own homes on the sabbath. They would go out of their way to find fault with others, and err themselves. Hypocrites!

2. Hypocrisy (vs.11-12). These hypocrites would rescue their livestock from trouble on the sabbath, but forbid helping of another human being in need. If their neighbor’s house caught fire on the sabbath, they would stand by and watch, rather than help put the fire out.