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

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 Abiathar 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 do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But 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

Yesterday, we read that Jesus went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed 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.  No 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?"  This isn't lawful because it was considered to be a form of work, a violation of the Sabbath-rest.  My study bible says that "'Pharisaism' is a very real danger for all.  Ruler 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 Abiathar 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 (1 Sam. 23:6-11).  His father, Ahimelech, provided David and his men, who were starving, with holy bread intended for priests only (1 Sam. 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."  There is a similar saying in rabbinical literature:  "The Sabbath has been given unto you; you have not been given unto the Sabbath."  Jesus, however, says my study bible, "puts what He teaches into practice, interpreting the Law with authority.  Only God can say He is 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 do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.   A note tells us, "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 observance 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 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.  My study bible tells us, "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 were members and supporters of the royal court of Herod Antipas, allied with and serving as part of the Roman government.

In this time of Lent and its association with fasting rules, we may well think of what it is to be healed.  One purpose of fasting is, of course, for our own healing, on many levels.  Fasting practices are designed to cut away externals, the things we think we need that we don't really need, in order to focus in on what is truly good for us, what truly feeds us.  It's to get in touch with who and what we really are, and where our heart lies, how our lives are going.  We focus in on Christ, and our relationship with God.  There is a commentary by St. John Chrysostom that, despite his setting in the 4th century, really brings home the purpose of the fast.  In a sermon, he preached that his well-heeled flock should put the servants to rest for awhile, and get out of the fuss and fire and grease spitting everywhere in the kitchen, put away the fancy utensils and all the elaborate preparations of this elegant food or that, and just basically give it a rest for awhile, to put it into our language.  Resting, in this context, is really to get in touch with God, and thereby we see what it is we really need.  This is why rest is for wholeness, and the point of a Sabbath-rest.  So, we can take all these rules as rules that are essentially for our health and well-being, on every level.  However, my study bible points out that when zealous preoccupation with the rules becomes a kind of idol, and the whole focus, then we are headed for trouble.  It really doesn't matter how good the rule is, in that case, as my study bible puts it:  "when adherence to those rules triumphs over mercy and human need, the practice leads people away from God, not toward Him."  If we remember that the purpose of every religious rule is really for our health and well-being, on so many levels -- from our basic root in spiritual reality to our psychology to our physical body -- then the goal is what becomes essential, and not the legalistic rendering of the rule itself.  Hence, Jesus' words:  "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."  As Son of Man, and fulfillment of the Law, He is Lord of the Sabbath.  His restoring a man to wholeness is the "whole" point.  So, once again, as we are in the middle of Lent, let us consider what prayer is, what our focus is now in this time, as we prepare for Easter.  Can you cut away the extraneous, and focus in on what He would want for your healing?  Let us keep in mind that so many of the things that we think we want aren't really for our healing.  We don't really need all the things we think we need because we're surrounded with expensive luxuries available in stores, or because our brother and sister have it, or because it would be socially impressive, or all the different reasons why we think we need what we need when we focus in on the outside.  What we need is what we find we need in that relationship of love to Creator.  Wholeness comes, essentially, from love, and even in our weakness we may show the perfect strength of Christ.  We may simply need to come to understand that we are loved as we are, a healing powerful as any other.  But take time to remember, the purpose is for healing.  We find it as we center in, cut away the distractions and the externals and all the things we chase after, drop the things that give us so much anxiety for a moment if we can, and come to Him.  He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the place of all restoration and healing, the One who gives us the right perspective we need.