Rest Beyond the Rules

This morning I’ve been sitting with Matthew 12:1 and Galatians 5:1. That phrase “At that time…” caught me. It’s not just a timestamp—it’s a bridge. It links Jesus’ invitation to rest in chapter 11 with what happens next: walking through grain fields on the Sabbath, hungry.
The disciples were hungry. And hunger—whether physical or spiritual—makes rest hard. Jesus had just said, “Come to Me… I will give you rest.” But here they are, following Him, and they’re starving. No food. No freedom to buy or prepare anything. The Sabbath laws had them boxed in.
I imagine them whispering, “Lord, You said rest… but we’re empty. How can we rest when we’re hungry?”
That hits close. I’ve felt that—called to peace, but carrying need. Longing for rest, but stuck in systems that don’t feed me.
And Jesus doesn’t scold them. He leads them. Right into the grain fields. Right through the boundaries. He breaks the rules—not to rebel, but to restore. To feed. To free.
Galatians 5:1 echoes this: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Not just freedom from sin, but from the weight of religious performance. From the pressure to keep up appearances while starving inside.
Today, I’m asking: What Sabbath rules am I still trying to keep while hungry? What burdens am I carrying that Jesus is inviting me to walk through?
He doesn’t just call me to rest. He walks me into it. Even if it means breaking through the grain fields.