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Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abaithar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."
And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" And they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
- Mark 2:23-3:6
In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus calling Matthew or Levi the tax collector to follow Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. Now one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."
Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" My study bible notes here: "This is not lawful because it was considered work, a violation of the Sabbath rest. 'Pharisaism' is a very real danger for all. Rules for religious practice are not bad in themselves, but when adherence to those rules triumphs over mercy and human need, the practice leads people away from God, not toward Him."
But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abaithar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" My study bible explains that Abiathar was appointed high priest during David's reign. His father Ahimelech provided David and his men, who were starving, with holy bread intended for priests only. See 1 Samuel 21:1-6.
And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." My study bible points out that there is a similar saying found in rabbinical literature: "The Sabbath has been given unto you; you have not been given unto the Sabbath." However, it notes that Jesus puts what He teaches into practice, "interpreting the Law with authority. Only God can say He is Lord of the Sabbath." Christ, as incarnate human being, can therefore declare Himself Lord of the Sabbath. But the emphasis here is on the mercy of God: the Sabbath rest in the Lord is made for the needs of human beings.
And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" And they kept silent. Here, my study bible notes: "Jesus is motivated by compassion. He does not deny Sabbath traditions, but teaches that it is more important to do good on the Sabbath than to maintain the strict observation of Sabbath rest. The religious leaders are motivated by zeal for the rigid performance of rabbinic tradition; for them outward performance is more important than doing good. The two perspectives are incompatible." And we see that by now in Mark's gospel, though we are only just into the third chapter, rifts between the leadership and Jesus are beginning to show. They search for something with which to accuse Him.
And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. A note reads: "In their anger and self-deception, the Pharisees believe that in order to serve God they must collaborate with their enemies, the Herodians, to murder the One who is the true servant of God." The Herodians, of course, are those who are with the king, Herod Antipas, who ruled over Galilee where Jesus has practiced His ministry. Herod is also the one who has had John the Baptist imprisoned.
What we take from today's reading is Jesus' emphasis on life and what is good for life. In John's gospel, we read Jesus telling us all that, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). In that passage, He was pointing out the difference between a true shepherd, and one that does not really have the best interest of the sheep in mind. So, taking all this into context, we see the emphasis on love, on compassion. What makes for life, and life in abundance? Worship, it seems to me, is a natural capacity of human beings. A Sabbath rest is an opportunity to take our thoughts to God, to take rest in Christ, and thereby be renewed in spirit and soul, feeding all of our lives. At least, that's how I see it, and that this is the purpose of that rest: it is made for us because this is a deep human need. To take rest this way is to be restored. God doesn't need us to do so in order to remain God! Jesus' emphasis on life and the restoration of life is synonymous with the good in the way He presents His action of the healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath. Therefore we are to see it all as a continuum: whatever is declared good must be for the restoration and healing and preservation of life, of goodness. And this is the act of love. So how do we discern what's best for us? When do we know that we follow the letter of a law to life's detriment, rather than upholding the true spirit of the Law as best serves God and therefore also human beings? This is the real question here, and it is one that never, ever leaves us. As we take our rest on the Sabbath or other times, to pray, to meditate, to deepen our relationship with God, let us think about what makes for life, and the love that wants us to have life in abundance.
