Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

 

 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

 

- Matthew 22:15–22 

 

In our current readings it is Holy Week.  Jesus is in Jerusalem, and has made His Triumphal Entry, and cleansed the temple.  He has also been sparring with the religious leaders, who demand to know His authority.  Yesterday we read that Jesus answered and spoke to the chief priests and Pharisees again by parables and said:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready.  Come to the wedding."'  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests.  But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'  And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  For many are called, but few are chosen."

 

  Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.  My study Bible tells us that this question on taxation ("Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?") is designed to trap Jesus.  A "yes" answer would turn the Jewish people against Him, while a "no" would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  Christ's answer defeats their cunning, and shows that a believer can give the state its due while serving God.  My study Bible explains that as the coin bears the image of the emperor and is properly paid to him, so each person bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God.  Conflict arises only when the state demands that which is contrary to God.  Additionally, my study Bible notes that this distinction between tings that are Caesar's and things that are God's does not imply the division of a believer's life into the secular and the sacred.  God is Lord over all of life, including the secular.  We also fulfill government requirements that don't conflict with our first responsibility to God (Romans 13:1-7; contrast Acts 4:19; 5:29).  To pay taxes and similar civil duties are not detrimental to holiness.  

 

This question about paying taxes to Caesar is an interesting one, because it is framed as a question on what is lawful.   This notion of what is lawful could also extend to what is "moral" or "right" (that is, including the wisdom from the Torah and an understanding of God's desires and purposes), but nonetheless the emphasis is on what is permissible  or not in a legalistic sense.  So, there are two conflicting bodies of Law one might consider here on the basis of the question; there is the Law of the Torah and there is the Roman law.  Under Roman law, as explained by my study Bible, one could be accused of treason by the Romans for not paying taxes.  But in the temple, Roman coins were exchanged for Jewish coins, as the Roman coins bore the image of Caesar (who was worshiped as a god) and therefore were instances of violation of the first commandment, the worship of the God of Israel (see this reading covering the cleansing of the temple, and Christ's overturning the tables of the money changers).  We should remember also that these are Pharisees asking Him this question, together with the Herodians.  The Pharisees were experts in Scripture, who spent their time examining in detail what was written, and searching out and identifying commands therein.  They also upheld what was called the "tradition of the elders," a body of rabbinical judgments, oral laws, and interpretations developed during the Second Temple period.  So this word "lawful" contains all of these meanings, in particular for the Pharisees.  The Herodians were generally opponents of the Pharisees as they are the followers of Herod; that is, the ruling dynasty of Herod which rules for Rome.  So they in turn represent the Roman Law and have made their compromises with it.   Therefore both are present with this question.  But Jesus answers quite simply when He points out that there is no conflict here as to what is lawful.  For the image of Caesar on the coin is a statement of sovereignty.  What bore the emperor's stamp was the emperor's, a part of the empire.  But, as my study Bible points out, by the same way of thinking and understanding, human beings each bear the image of God, as we all are created in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).  Therefore what is sacred and what is worldly can overlap, the two existing at once in one place.  For, as my study Bible also points out, everything is under the jurisdiction of God, both in the spiritual realm and the earthly.  And therein we come to a very interesting conclusion, for only the One who stands before them, Jesus the Christ (or Messiah) contains in Himself all that unites these two realms in one Person.  He is fully God and fully human, and only He truly has the authority to answer such a question -- for it is His image whom all bear or choose to reject and spurn, and it is His authority within which all things exist and will find their fullness (see Colossians 1:17; Ephesians 1:10; Romans 8:28; 14:11).  Moreover, as St. Paul writes, Christ "is all and in all" (Colossians 3:11).  Just as Caesar has jurisdiction (and his imprint) over all that is the Roman Empire, and the Law and Prophets prevail in the temple and the practices of the Jewish people, so Christ is at once superseding all things at once in His authority, and it is this for which He has come into the world.  If we keep in mind the clear claim of Messiah or Christ, we are to understand that in the image of the Cross will come the symbol or declaration of such a victory in this world, for the God-man will shed His blood in sacrifice for all, and thus establish His own sovereignty over this world, and "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  The Cross remains the insignia of victory, and claim of sovereignty in our world, and as His followers we seek the way of the Cross (Matthew 16:24-26).  When we struggle with our own questions for discernment, let us remember who is Lord of all.  For there are things which are beneficial and things which are not (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23).  In His way of the Cross, we seek the One who has authority over all.

 

 

 

 

Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept

 

 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

 

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

 

- Mark 10:1-16 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His teachings on what constitutes greatness in His Church and Kingdom, and the treatment of the "little ones."  He taught the disciples, "But whoever causes these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

  Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  My study Bible comments that, in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in that day, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce.  (He does so twice in St. Matthew's Gospel; see Matthew 5:31-32, 19:8-9; and here in St. Mark's Gospel he does so before the Pharisees and also privately to the disciples).  Instead, Jesus emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.   Again, in St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus recognizes the possibility of divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality, which shows that marriage can be destroyed by sin.  In the Orthodox Church, divorce and a second marriage are allowed as concession to human weakness and also as a corrective measure of compassion when a marriage has been broken.  Possible grounds for divorce were expanded in the early Church.  The basis for this test by the Pharisees is Deuteronomy 24:1-4.  But my study Bible comments further that God's condescension, or allowance for human weakness, does not override the original principle of permanent monogamous marriage as revealed in Genesis 1; 2 (from which Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24).  He adds His own clear prohibition against divorce; see also Malachi 2:15-16.

 

 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.  My study Bible says that, according to Theophylact, the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ rejects this thinking, and sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of God.  Therefore, children are invited (even as example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  

 

There is a lot to ponder in today's reading as it applies to the lessons Christ has been teaching on what constitutes "greatness."  If we contrast the notion of sheer material power as greatness within a body or group of people, such as a government or kingdom or even household, with Christ's expression of greatness as that of service and humility to all (including the "little ones") then we see a continuity in these teachings on divorce, and on the treatment of little children.  Not only are they related in terms of family and its component parts, and what constitutes "good governance" or "greatness" within a family for its cohesion and love, but they are related in society and in the Church.  At Christ's time, of course, women did not have the same social or legal standing that men did.  Their testimonies, for example, were not considered to be valid or admissible in the Jewish tradition (and only under some circumstances allowed in Roman law).  So, it's important that we understand this specific framework in the question from the Pharisees:  "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"  In Christ's time this was a debated issue, with grounds for divorce divided among rabbinical opinion.  The dependency of women upon their families for social and personal care plays a great role in our understanding of the circumstances as well.  Even today, with social and legal equality enforced by law (including in the workplace), many feminists are coming to terms with the difficulties for women and children because of divorce.  So it would seem important to consider all of this discussion not only from the perspective of gender, as is so often the case today, but from the position of power and the "little ones," the more humble in any group.  Let's look at Jesus' response and how He phrases it.  When asked this question, He replies to the Pharisees,  "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' "  Jesus does not place gender roles (or even creation) in the first place of His response, but rather He notes that divorce was permitted by Moses "because of the hardness of your heart."  He makes it clear that this is not the natural purpose and intent of creation, but a product of subsequent sin and distance from God.  In this sense, "hardness of heart" becomes a question of the use of power, in particular regarding those who are "little ones," i.e. dependent and less powerful.  It's important to note that this discussion is couched between the subject of little children and how they are viewed by Christ and are meant to be viewed within the Church, for this completely emphasizes the use of power and what we understand as gracious behavior, defined for us by Christ in His admonition to the disciples from Monday's reading:  "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  For righteousness, in the whole tradition of the Church and the entirety of the Holy Bible, is, in effect, "right-relatedness."  Let us consider the role of love, compassion, and grace in all our relations, and in all of Christ's teachings for us.  

 

 

 

 

 

But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless

 

 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.  And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"  But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.  And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.  And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?  Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."  Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

 

- Matthew 12:1-14 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been speaking about John the Baptist, who is at this time imprisoned by King Herod Antipas of Galilee.  Jesus has criticized the people for their attitude of rejection toward John the Baptist, and also to Christ's own ministry and the "mighty works" He's done among them.  Yesterday we read that He answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father.  Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

 

 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.  And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"   My study Bible comments here that the Pharisees are rigid in their legalism.  It explains that the Law allowed plucking a few heads of grain in a neighbor's field (Deuteronomy 23:25), but these men consider it "reaping" which is therefore unlawful on the Sabbath.  

But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?"  Jesus provides clear exceptions to the "rule" from the Old Testament, giving examples of blameless "violations" of the Sabbath.  In so doing, He makes it clear that the law is not absolute over human need or service to God, as my study Bible puts it.  David and his men partook of the showbread (1 Samuel 21:5-7), prefiguring the Eucharist.  In the Old Testament this food was forbidden to anyone except the priests, but in Christ it is given to all the faithful. 

 

 "Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."  My study Bible comments that, as Author of the Law, Jesus is the Lord over all of it.  As Lord, therefore, He teaches that mercy takes precedence over regulations, ordinances, and ritualistic observances.  Jesus quotes from Hosea 6:6.

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.  And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.  And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?  Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."  Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.  Here is the expression of Christ's mercy at work on the Sabbath, and it is all the more deeply rejected by the Pharisees.  In the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, it is noted that Jesus is aware of their love of money and things over people -- so He first appeals to them regarding precious property, and the allowance to save the life of a sheep on the Sabbath.  But the healing of this man's hand -- a hand now capable of laying hold of a sheep to lift it out of a pit -- means only defiance to the Pharisees, for which they now seek to destroy Him.

 

 One of the first things we might notice -- and that we need to pay attention to -- is the growing intransigence of the Pharisees in today's reading.  They begin by condemning Jesus and the disciples for plucking some grain (likely ears of corn) to eat when they were hungry.  They liken this to harvesting and therefore working on the Sabbath.  That they don't seem to be aware of the blameless exceptions to the Sabbath rule tell us how fixed they are in their ideas to begin with.  These, after all, are men who spend their days debating the fine points of Scripture.  But when Christ is faced with a choice of completely restoring someone's hand on the Sabbath or not, they double down on their legalism.  They dig themselves into a deeper pit, so to speak, and increase their intransigence to the point that they now are essentially denying a livelihood to this man, and diminishing his life by doing so.  It's an important illustration of the principle of repentance, because it teaches us the importance of the direction in which we're going in life.  We don't stand still.  Every moment we are always going to be challenged with new decisions to be made, building up upon previous choices and earlier directions we've chosen.  The word translated as "repentance" is metanoia/μετανοια in the Greek, and it literally means a change of mind.  That is, a kind of transformation involving a turnaround.   Real repentance asks us for an open mind and an open heart, a willingness to be corrected, to face and embrace truth, and the humility to accept when we need to do something over, or change our direction.  For the Pharisees, whatever it is that has hardened their hearts is keeping them chained not only to the same direction they started, but the inevitable descent into a position that is simply untenable.  Now they refuse to accept plain goodness on the Sabbath, the healing of a man's withered hand.  Let us consider the society in which this takes place, based on agrarian products such as crops and also fishing.  What would be considered to be any type of industry would all depend on a person using their hands.  Think of the kind of hardness of heart that would in turn cement themselves into this position where they plot to kill Jesus because of His saving healing in the synagogue, and let it be a warning to us.  Jesus tells them, "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless."  To condemn the guiltless is perhaps the archetypal act of unrighteousness.  Because repentance is present as an option in order to save ourselves from ourselves, our pride, our arrogance, our misguided sense of "right," it is important to observe the stories here and take them to heart.  We all could be the self-righteous who now plot to destroy Jesus, because our authority is questioned.  Let us accept God's love and mercy, and remember that the call to repentance is a gift.

What is truth?

 

 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  

 

Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  

 

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  

 

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.  But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover.  Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!"  Now Barabbas was a robber.

 

- John 18:28–40

 

Yesterday we read that, following Christ's arrest and His being taken to the home of the high priest for a night trial, Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple.  Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.  But Peter stood at the door outside.  Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.  Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?"  He said, "I am not."  Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves.  And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.  The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world.  I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and  in secret I have said nothing.  Why do you ask Me?  Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them.  Indeed they know what I said."  And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"  Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"  Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.  Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?"  He denied it and said, "I am not!"  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"  Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed. 

 

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.    My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom here.  St. Chrysostom notes the irony that Christ's accusers apparently do not fear being defiled by condemning an innocent Man to death -- but at the same time, they would not set foot into a court of justice (they themselves did not go into the Praetorium).   

 

 Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."    Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  My study Bible comments that since the chief priests of the Jews had no actual crime with which to make an accusation against Jesus, Pilate here refuses to pass judgment.  When the chief priests tell him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," they are not referring to the Law of Moses.  Instead, they are referring to the laws of Roman occupation, which Pilate knows well, as the Romans reserved the right to execute people.  So, therefore, the chief priests are relying on Pilate to sentence Jesus to death.  Moreover, under Jewish law, stoning was prescribed as the usual means of execution.  But, my study Bible notes, Jesus has prophesied that He would be killed by being lifted up on the Cross (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32-33), as He had foreknowledge that He would die, not at the hands of the Jews, but by the Roman method of crucifixion.

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."   My study Bible comments that it is unheard of that the accused would have to name the charges against himself in any court, as it is the captors who would be the ones to name the crime.  It says that since Pilate has to ask Jesus what the charges are, it shows that the chief priests could not name any crime He might have committed.  More importantly, this shows that Jesus was the Lord over the events of His death (see John 18:4, 8).  Even the governor has to come to Christ in order for His trial to proceed. 

 

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.  But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover.  Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!"  Now Barabbas was a robber.   Today's lectionary reading only extends to verse 38, but I have added on the final two verses of the chapter, as they apply to my study Bible's observation.  It says that although Pilate knows Christ to be innocent of any crime, he here attempts to strike a compromise with the Jews by declaring Christ guilty, but freeing Him on account of the Passover.  In this way, the chief priests would get their official declaration of guilt, and at the same time Christ would not be unjustly punished.  

It's interesting to ponder Pilate's question, "What is truth?"  To the religious Jews of the Council, and in particular to the Pharisees, perhaps notions of truth would already have some historical religious or spiritual context or meaning.  But Pilate here is the voice of a world without the religious background of the Jews and Jewish spiritual history.  His question, perhaps, comes in the context of the classical educational understanding of the Roman and Greek world, in particular, one assumes of the philosophers, logicians, mathematicians, and even the poets and playwrights.  The question of Pilate, "What is truth?" is not something that comes out of what we now would call secular society, but in a sense it is related to our modern popular concepts of secularism.   That is, it doesn't come from the religious understanding we know that Jesus encompasses in His fullness.  However, that does not mean that our every day or "secular" notions of truth are absent from Christ's truth.  Christ embraces a deeper and fuller notion of truth, one that includes the Creator of all and things divine and spiritual -- without leaving out our common understanding of the word.  When Pilate asks, "What is truth?" it seems that we might assume the irony here is not lost at all on the original hearers of this Gospel, nor on St. John (the author of the Gospel) at all.  For Pilate's truth embraces this sort of hopeless compromise, that makes no real internal logical sense, but instead makes sense only in terms of expedience.  In that sense, it's not really a true compromise at all, because there is no internal cohesion to the logic of both condemning Christ and setting Him free.  More importantly, the truth is missing from this compromise, for Christ is neither guilty of the charges made against Him (something Pilate knows already), and neither is He embraced by the people as their King, but rather rejected by this crowd stirred up by the religious rulers.  So neither outcome would be, in fact, "true."  Neither is Christ a king in the secular sense of the Gentiles, or in the sense of those who await a Jewish Messiah in imitation of King David.  He fits none of these things in truth.  So while Pilate is coming from an entirely different perspective and cultural understanding, his own notions of truth are incomplete and even self-contradictory, an indication of something that will not stand forever (see Christ's parable of a kingdom divided against itself here).  From the point of view of the Gentile world, and those of us whose ancestors came from the pagan cultures of the Greco-Roman world and its universal influence, we should understand our early Christian forbears as those for whom the greater truth of Christ made such an astounding and transformational impact on the society, and how these great empires were to eventually become Christian.   When we encounter falsehoods cloaked in expedient solutions, half-truths, partial understanding disguised as truth, and all manner of self-contradictory things professed to us as new ideas and concepts, we, also, should remember this greater fullness of truth that so impacted the ancient world.  Even with its tremendous heritage of culture, education, art, poetry, science, and so much more, Christ became the fullness of the truth they had been reaching toward.  Modern facile assumptions that Christian holidays or celebrations simply supplanted ancient ones in order to wield influence are mistaken, particularly in their underestimation of the intelligence of our ancient peoples.   If the solstice had spiritual meaning for the ancients because of the light growing in the world, it would come to have a fuller and deeper meaning in commemorating the Light who is Christ coming into the world.  If the ancients understood truth as central to logic, truth would take on even greater dimensions in the spiritual reality of Christ as the Word or Logos.  If life was to be cherished, it would become something vastly more wealthy and productive in the Holy Spirit, the giver of life.  Greek philosophy was not abandoned, but instead used to create theology and serve the Church.  Architecture and art became even more splendid in the great cathedrals and iconography of the Church.  The literature of classical culture was preserved in monasteries where notions of heroism, of truth, of goodness, and love were deepened and expanded in the nobility and even humility of Christ -- which was offered not to a few elite, but to all of us, even to slaves.  Let us understand Pilate's question, and how it would come to be answered in Christ.  Let us observe how those of the ancient world did not simply reject the good things of their past, but rejoiced in the greater fullness of truth offered in Christ.   They would come to understand that whatever was true, or good, or beautiful served the Person who was truth.  That is, a greater truth of righteousness and grace, which embraced, enhanced, and uplifted what they knew to be true, and good, and beautiful. 

Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to 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 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."   The grainfields are likely fields of corn, and the disciples pluck the corn to eat because they are in need and hungry.  The showbread was a particular bread kept on a special table in the temple that was meant for the priests to eat.  When Saul was seeking to kill David, David fled to the priest and he and his men were allowed to eat of the holy bread (see 1 Samuel 21:1-6).  St. Ambrose comments on a similar passage in Luke that under the new covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  David prefigured this when he gave the showbread to those who were with him.  That the Sabbath was made for man is an essential understanding of Mark's Gospel.  It is an affirmation of the previous readings in which it has been repeatedly affirmed that Christ's ministry in the world is one of healing; the Sabbath, therefore, is set aside for man for rest and therefore healing.  This is one more underscoring of the nature of God as compassionate and loving to humankind.

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.  The scribes and Pharisees had built up certain traditions around the Law, and in this viewpoint, healing was considered work -- and so not permissible on the Sabbath.  My study Bible comments that they believed they served God by zealously keeping these peripheral traditions, but this legalism made them insensitive to God's mercy.

 

 Jesus' statement, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath," is unique to Mark's Gospel.  From what we have read so far in these first chapters in Mark, we could say that it is central to the understanding of Christ and His mission.  If we compare the examples of the scribes and Pharisees' arguments counter to Christ's ministry, we can see the difference in the approach.  Jesus is emphasizing healing on all levels, whether that be the casting out of demons, or the possibilities of repentance, even the remission of sin for those whose ailments are somehow connected (see the healing of the paralytic, in this reading), or touching what was unclean in order to heal and therefore cleanse a leper (in this reading).  Christ's presence transforms an understanding of sin because He makes it possible to be set free from its influence through His power and Person.  Therefore, He says, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."  He who has come to us incarnate as full human being is also fully divine, and He is here to correct and to heal -- all of which is a mission of mercy to humankind.  Therefore through Him we understand that we are loved by God, and that the Sabbath is given to us because we need it -- we are to heal through rest.  On the other hand, it is the demons who make slaves of human beings who toil and suffer and are destroyed under their influence.  We need to understand our God as a God of love, and that all that is given to us is given through compassion.  We might compare the demonic influence we see in the Gospels -- say, in those instances of demon possession such as that of the man who called himself Legion (Mark 5:1-20), or particularly in the temptations of Satan to Christ (Luke 4:1-13) -- to the process of addiction.  We're tempted by things that sound good, but that turn out to be a trap, giving us pain and toil as the outcome.  On the other hand, the discipline of God (discipline as in disciple which really means "learner" in the Greek) asks us to change and to grow.  It might not sound like our own plan, or what we really want, or promise the moon.  It will ask us for work and a willingness to give up certain ways or things we might be attached to, but similarly to treatment by a physician, it will ultimately work out that we are better off for it.  We become healed from something, and freed from something.  This is the process of repentance, and it is the way or road of Christ, as in, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  It is our Physician who gives us rest because we need it, our Physician who fills us up with good things, our Physician who gives us healing prescriptions and exercises so that we grow and become truly healed on all levels, and we become whole, more fully attaining the image and likeness of God in whose image we were made.  This is what it is to be set aright, put in proper order, and we follow Him -- as did His disciples -- in order to grow in His way.  Through Christ, we are pulled out of what is imperfect, sinful, harmful to us, that which is toxic (to use a modern term).  In a modern world, we are all tempted to see life simply on the surface, not to look past dazzling images that pull us in to sell us something (a way of life, a political slogan, something we can purchase), to think that God is absent or doesn't care, to sin because we see all kinds of other people indulging in sinful behavior such as selfishness or greed, or terrible lusts, exploiting others, bullying, and so on.  But God knows, and our Lord has also put a piece of God in us, so that we are capable of finding Him and His way; that is the gift of the Holy Spirit whom Christ said "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26).  Let us look at the life Christ offers us, and know that He is our Physician, the One who taught that the Sabbath was made for man, giving us compassion and love and mercy in what He offers us.  Jesus confronts the Pharisees with this important question that is a guidepost for us:  "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  Let us not be tempted by the world that seeks to enslave, but freed by the One who loves us -- whose work in us is good and seeks to save our lives.

If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine

Ottheinreich Bible, c. 1425-30. Folio 18v (Matthew 8)

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

- Matthew 8:28-34

On Saturday, we read that when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then his disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study bible comments that the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and they are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although their malice is so great, they can't do anything against the explicit will of God, and so therefore can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of the herd shows that the men were protected by God; if it were not so, they would have perished under the demonic influence.  My study bible adds that moreover, this reinforces that swineherding wasn't a lawful occupation for the Jews, showing instead that the value of human beings is incomparable, their salvation worth all sacrifices. 

Some commentaries remark that these people must be Gentiles, non-Jews, as their raising of swine seem to indicate.  But the text, according to my study bible and many Fathers, seems to indicate that, on the contrary, these are Jews raising swine for marketing to Gentile populations, and doing so contrary to the Mosaic Law.  One indication of this is their preference for Jesus to leave them -- they begged Him to depart from their region.   This is done after they've seen the miraculous cure of the demon-possessed men.  The people here prefer their income from the swine, and are dismayed at what has happened, rather than joyful for the healing of the men.  What this indicates is not simply their material mindset, and not merely that their priorities are in the wrong place.  The fact that they care nothing for the Law given through Moses is coupled with their lack of care for the lives of these men, indicating that in fact these are people who care nothing for real justice.  They are fundamentally unjust in their outlook -- meaning they are unrighteous in a number of ways.  If it's going to cost them money, a loss of stock or inventory, they don't care at all and do not rejoice at the healing of the men.  Their fundamentally wrong-headed outlook renders them less than righteous or just, because their priorities are in the wrong place.  They are those who worship mammon rather than God (6:24).  Jesus' preaching in the Sermon on the Mount has addressed this concern and inward disposition in our lives; here the Gospel tells us a story that expresses such a problem and its outcome.  Jesus is rejected because He heals.  The swine, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean animals, but these townspeople don't care.  They care about the income.  Moreover, if we look closely at the text, we may observe also that they are simply used to living with these demon-possessed men the way they are; this is something "normal" for their world.  It shows a disordered social construct, a world where priorities are out of whack, and true natural relations between people need restoration.  These violent, demon-possessed men do not dwell among the living but among the dead, midst the tombs.  They are exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  This is a disordered and unnatural (in the sense that what is truly natural is God's will for us) violence that lives among them, and counts for "normal."  It is what the townspeople and swineherds are used to, what they live with, their static state.  So let us take a look at what passes for "norms" here:  the unlawful breeding of unclean animals for the money, a repulsion to what happens when Jesus heals the men and the animals are destroyed (thus a loss of income source, however outside of the law), and their set of values -- such as it is -- means they beg Jesus to leave, apparently without caring at all for the healing of these extremely violent men.  It is, in some sense, a picture of our world, no matter how disordered it may seem in the text.  Violence is normal, no sacrifice is too great when it comes to wealth (even the sacrifice of any form of true health or real justice or righteousness), and that which would shake up the world and put it in right order -- a healed state --  is simply desired to be cast aside, gotten rid of, so that they beg Jesus to leave.  In fact, they can think of nothing else.  Imagine, in our world, forces that would prefer war and violence over peace as it may bring them income, a violence that results in great injustice and disorder and all sorts of human ailments, and can only see healing and the peace it would bring as a woeful loss of income.  This priority of mammon over God gives us a fundamental picture of disorder and injustice, as it is a willingness to forego the righteousness of God if it is going to change things and ask us to look for a better way to make our lives, our living, our way of life.  Is it so strange to us, or can we think of examples that might seem even just a little similar?  Perhaps we could think of relations in a family, in a neighborhood or town, or even on a greater scale.  Where does our picture of righteousness come into play?  Is a little violence acceptable?  What would we be willing to give up for peace and healing?  What takes top priority when it comes to human well-being?  Is righteousness worth our sacrifice or adjustment, even repentance?

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 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 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."   The Gospel once again emphasizes aspects of healing and wholeness as the New Covenant of Christ.  Luke's Gospel says that this incident took place on a "second Sabbath after the first," meaning on a day of a fast.   The incident Jesus refers to was a time when David and his men were hungry, and were given the showbread to eat, although it wasn't lawful for any but the priests.  Under the "New" Covenant, it's a time when food which was not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, is now given freely to all by Lord of the Sabbath.    This food given to the hungry is a sort of Eucharist, the holy bread which gives us depth of relationship to God.  Jesus is God Incarnate, He hungers as human being, but He is also Lord.

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 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.    Under the traditions of the Law, healing was considered work, therefore impermissible on the Sabbath.  Christ is put to the test here, and His answer is resounding for us:  God's work is healing work, and the Sabbath is a day for God's healing work in man. 

We have remarked on the fact that as soon as Jesus began His ministry in Mark's Gospel, His teaching and preaching are inseparable from the action of healing, or setting aright.  The unclean spirits respond to Him and are commanded, healings of all kind take place.  In today's reading, the Sabbath -- day consecrated to God -- is an occasion for God's work, and we learn more about God's love and mercy.  The notion of healing and wholeness is expanded for us, extended to the need of Christ and His disciples for food, and extended to this man with a withered hand.  Christ is in the synagogue for a reason:  He is always teaching and preaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath.  This becomes an important occasion for demonstration, and what it, in effect, a rebuke to the religious leadership.  God answers our hungers in many ways, but with the appropriate and good food that is best for our "whole" healing.  If we need correction so that our lives may go in a better direction, this is what is offered; repentance is a kind of "food" or "medicine" for sin, for wrong-headedness.  In all kinds of ways, God heals, and this exemplified in each of these stories of Christ.  In today's reading, the Sabbath is given to man for the purpose of true healing, and our full healing is really in right-relatedness to God.  When we worship God, we go to the place where our fullness really is, the image of who we are in God's eyes.  Healing a hand is a good symbol to think about.  How do we become "fully functional" in God's sight.  The world is full of stories of those who are given hard knocks by all kinds of ailments in the world, but with God's help find ways to turn those stories into ones in which purpose and meaning is found.  There's a powerful film about a woman who'd been a prostitute for over twenty years, and one day found herself in the emergency ward of a hospital.  All of her "own" answers failed her, and she prayed to God for help.  This acted in an immediate way to restore her, finding a place to heal and to grow.  In the end, the "normal" life she longed to go to became a life in which she ministers to women lost in a life of prostitution, and perhaps more importantly, an after-school program which she designed to help young girls before they get there.  It's a story of healing, finding a place with God's love, in which all of our lives can be that which contributes to others' healing, with God's help and mercy.  Our Physician heals us, but we remember that we go to Him first for all things, and for restoration.  "The Sabbath was made for man . . . Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  As one of us, He knows what we need to heal.