THE SLANDERERS OF JESUS

   Jesus and his disciples were poor itinerant preachers
who sometimes had no certain dwelling place.   On one
occasion, Jesus said:

    " ... The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests;
   but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."
                                           Matt 8;20 (KJV)

Like the birds of the air, Jesus and his disciples came to the
lowly condition where they  plucked their food from ears of
corn to satisfy their hunger.

    "At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the  
     corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to  
     pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.

     But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him,  
     Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do
     upon the sabbath day."  (Matt 12:-2)

When the Pharisees saw the pressing needs of Jesus and his
disciples, they should have taken their poor brethren  into
their homes and shared their bread with them.  Instead, they
hardened their hearts and proved unworthy of the kingdom
of God.  It was the Pharisees who broke God's law!  
           (See Isa 58:7; Deut 15:7 and Matt 10:6-15)

Men can harden their hearts and oppress the poor of God's
people --but God is merciful.  In the law of Moses, God
made provision for the poor and stranger so they could eat
to satisfy their hunger without stealing or breaking the
Sabbath Commandment.    

    "When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard,
           then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill
               AT THINE OWN PLEASURE;
             *but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel*

    When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour,
        then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand;
           **but thou shalt not move a sickle**
                  unto thy  neighbour's  standing corn."
                           Deut 23:24-25 (KJV)

Jesus Christ knew how to observe the Sabbath.  He is Lord
of the Sabbath!  He sanctified it at creation.  He spoke the
Sabbath Commandment on Mount Sinai, wrote it in stone
and will judge all those who disobey it.

Jesus said that they were GUILTLESS!

    "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy,
        and **not sacrifice**, ye would not have condemned  
             the  GUILTLESS ..."  Matt 12:7 (KJV)

The scriptures testify that Jesus was without sin.  Sin
(transgression of the law) requires a sacrifice.  If Jesus had
broken the Sabbath, we would not have a saviour;  because
he would have died for his own sins.

Those Pharisees falsely accused Jesus of breaking the
Sabbath Commandment --and some so-called Christians are
doing the very same thing today!

Donna Kupp

   "And the dragon was wroth with the woman,
     and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
            WHICH KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD,
     AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST."  Rev 12:17 (KJV)