The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

 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 to 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?"  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."  Jesus emphasizes mercy, while the religious officials appeal to the law.   In yesterday's reading, above, Jesus referred to Himself as a physician, who goes where the need is for healing.  He tells them that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  That is, the Sabbath was given for the wholeness and healing of human beings.  Mercy -- acting as physician -- recognizes those needs.  He furthermore cites the example of David and those men with him, who ate the showbread when they were in need (1 Samuel 21:1-9).

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?"  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.  My study bible says that according to certain traditions that had been built up around the Law, healing was considered work, and so was not permissible on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees believe that they serve God by zealously keeping these peripheral traditions, but their legalism makes them insensitive to God's mercy.  Again, we see Jesus' emphasis as physician, one who heals where the need is.  The Herodians are those who support King Herod, ruler or tetrarch of Galilee for Rome.

Jesus says, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  The emphasis is on human need, and comes after the reading in which He replied to criticism that He dined with tax collectors and other sinners by saying, "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."  In yesterday's reading, the medicine was repentance.  In today's, it is care of the body.  The Pharisees are over-rigorous in their legalism; the Law contained provisions for need, exceptions to zealous enforcement in cases where it caused harm.   Jesus speaks as Son of Man, as the Son who is incarnate as human being.  As Lord He is author of the Law, but as Son of Man He is also one of us.  He emphasizes the true aim of the Law, the care of human beings.  Jesus as Son of Man is also a new revelation of God in the world, and He brings expansion in our understanding of God's love.  St. Gregory Nazianzus wrote (in a critique of Apollinarius, who claimed that Jesus did not have a human mind, but only a divine one), "For that which He has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved."  In other words, a less than fully human Jesus cannot truly provide salvation -- healing -- for human beings.  The very purpose of the Incarnation is for our salvation in Christ becoming one of us, and so uniting human beings to our Creator through His life and mission in every way possible.  As Son of Man, He is here to heal us.  And as Son of Man then, He is also Lord of the Sabbath -- because the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  His authority is vindicated and justified through the Incarnation.  God's love and condescension is given for us, God as Physician.  Every act of God is not a demand that we serve God simply in order to serve or because God needs our worship, but so that we are in right-relationship to Creator, so that humankind is healed and restored to full and true health.  That the Sabbath is made for man reveals God's extraordinary love for us, as does Jesus' incarnation as Son of Man.  In every way, we are assured of God's love, that God wants what is best for us.  This is, in fact the true purpose of the Law, and it is the true purpose of the new covenant of Christ.  When we lose sight of that fact, then we lose the true faith we need so that we may in fact be healed.  It begins with God's love, and there is also the fullness of our faith as well.