Lord of the sabbath

One sabbath while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?’ Then he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’

On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come and stand here.’ He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

- Luke 6:1-11

Jesus' encounters with those whose view of religion is to rigidly enforce the law continue now through Luke's gospel. One thing that I find interesting about Luke is his emphasis on healing. In the readings of the past few days, this has been a theme: whether "rebuking" a demon or a fever, forgiving sins or curing a leper, Jesus is healing. Luke even quotes Jesus using the phrase, "Physician, heal thyself!" when he "rebukes" the unbelievers in the synogague of his hometown. We are told that Luke himself was a physician, so this perspective on healing the ailments of mankind that plague our world should not be so surprising. It is, however, a lovely metaphor for Church, and those who are called to this Church. Luke is also, we are told, from Antioch and a Gentile, and we also find in Luke the understanding of the outsiders who are included and brought in to this Church.

In today's reading, we find two instances of note to a physician: the feeding of the hungry and the healing of the withered hand. But this time there is another element added to the story: Jesus' actions challenge the notions about the rigid enforcement of the law, and particularly the laws governing work on the sabbath. Apparently, it was legal to pluck a few ears of corn from a neighbor's field, but here the Pharisees deem this particular instance to be "work."

More significantly, Jesus here tells the Pharisees openly that "the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath," specifically referring to himself as Son of Man. The phrase "son of man" is used many times in Old Testament literature, perhaps for our purposes most notably in the book of Daniel, wherein Daniel refers to "one like the son of man" who is given an everlasting kingdom and dominion over all. Jesus refers to himself both as Son of Man and Son of God in the gospels. I am not a biblical scholar, but from what I read I understand the phrase "Son of Man" here to refer to himself as incarnate Lord, who has been born in the flesh in order to live life as a human being. When Jesus says that the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath, I believe he is referring to himself in his dual role as God and man: the great emphasis here is on mercy. As both God and man he is both "author" of the law - and at the same time he understands human need, and the depths of our need for mercy as life-sustaining in all dimensions. For a physician, the important concept of mercy adds the dimension we need when we think of the healer and what we desire in that healer that knows everything about us.

Finally, he directly challenges the enforcers of the law: I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it? Similarly to the case of harvesting, Jesus is questioning the rigid enforcement of a rule. Healing on the sabbath was permitted in cases of life or death, but Jesus goes further. He heals the withered hand of the man in the synagogue on the sabbath in front of those whom he knows will be angry at this perceived violation of the law. One commentary I read notes that if adherence to religious rules does not serve the needs of man, then human beings will turn from God, and this does not serve God's purposes. Jesus - and Luke - teach us here of our need for a divine healer, whose "rule" is for compassion and mercy; we human beings have needs beyond food and healing. We also need mercy. We must always remember mercy. This is the way to serve the Lord of the sabbath.