Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?

Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also lord of the Sabbath."

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

- Luke 6:1-11

In yesterday's reading, Jesus first saw a tax collector named Levi (who is known to us as Matthew the Evangelist).  With the simple words from Christ, "Follow Me," Matthew left all, rose up, and followed Him, Luke tells us.  Levi (Matthew) then gave a great feast at his house, for Jesus and other followers, including many tax collectors and others.  Pharisees and their scribes complained against Jesus, asking Him, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Then they asked Jesus why the disciples of John the Baptist fast often and make prayers, like those of the Pharisees -- and those of Jesus eat and drink?  Jesus said, "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one, otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.  And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also lord of the Sabbath."  My study bible points out that the correct observance of the Sabbath-rest is a major point of controversy between the Pharisees and Jesus.  To call Himself the Son of Man becomes a more illumined name for us here:  it's again a sort of "hiding in plain sight" of His identity.  Here, Jesus makes a closer claim for His divine identity, both God and man.  He refers the Pharisees to an episode in the history of the life of King David, in which he and his men were famished, and the priest allowed them to eat the showbread (see 1 Samuel 21:6).

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.   I think it's important that we note the Gospel tells us this is a deliberate act by Jesus, a response to the thoughts of those who wish to find an accusation against Him.

Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.  My study bible explains:  "According to the scribes and Pharisees, healing was considered work and was not permissible on the Sabbath.  They believed they served God by being zealous for traditions they had built up around the Law, and they saw Jesus as a lawbreaker.  Their dedication to rigid legalism made them insensitive to God's priorities."  Jesus' priorities are clear in His pointed question here:  "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  It's once again playing on the emphasis introduced in yesterday's reading, on healing and restoration as part of God's salvation, and an essential understanding of the purposes of God's reaching out to humanity to save in mercy and everlasting love.

What's also clear from this reading is how our own priorities can get in the way of God's grace, God's reaching out toward us with God's message of intention and of love.  We can set up all kinds of rules and traditions - even those based on what we consider truly good, revelations of God's mercy - but when their observance gets in the way of God's true intention and love, then we must think again, reconsider, the real meaning behind "repent" (in the Greek, the word for repent literally means "change of mind").  But again, we look to the Hebrew Scriptures, especially the Psalms, and find over and over again reminders of God's steadfast love, God's pull to mercy.  Always, the option is to draw us into relationship, to call us back.  In the Gospels, we read of many acts of love that trump all other considerations, all other "good" rules, such as this one.  In the Greek, the word "economia" sets out the "rule" for the areas where we don't really know how to apply a principle or tradition.  It refers back to God's great "economia" - the plan for salvation, and the "rule" is to err on the side of mercy in applying any sort of understanding where things are fuzzy.  So if we look at today's readings in the light of our daily lives, we may think about ways in which they apply to ourselves.  Is there a rule one follows -- all in good intention, and made in the best of faith -- which can become a kind of slavish obligation in and of itself?  Let us remember that God is love, and it really doesn't matter on what personal level this may apply to us.  God's mercy and love trump everything; all must work together for the good, and thereby we can read again Jesus' question asking about doing good on the Sabbath.  In all circumstances, we can remember the question Jesus poses:  Is it lawful to do good or do evil, to save life (or soul) or destroy?  It's the "letter of the law" that can get in the way of our acceptance of its true spirit.  In what way does God's love call you forward into healing? into restoration?  into God's good? into God's rest?