While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” 3 Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those [who were] with him were hungry? 4 [How] he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.” 5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
6 On another sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. 7 The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. 8 But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” 10 Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. 11 But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field on the Sabbath and the disciples plucked grain to eat. The Pharisees, who strictly interpreted and rigidly adhered to the Mosaic Law, accused them of violating the Sabbath Law because according to Jewish tradition, what they were doing could be seen as reaping and threshing which would be considered working on the Sabbath (Ex. 20:10; Ex. 34:21). Reaping involves harvesting or cutting crops and threshing involves separating the edible part of grain from the husks or chaff. Jesus responded to them by recalling an incident in the OT where David and his companions while fleeing from King Saul, ate the consecrated bread from the Tabernacle reserved only for the priests (1 Sam. 21:1-6). Jesus made the point that mercy is more important than sacrifice (Mt. 12:7; Hos. 6:6), and human need and compassion may sometimes take precedence over strict adherence to ritual law.
In the Old Testament, the term "Son of Man" was used to describe a divine figure who is given authority, dominion, and an everlasting kingdom by God (Dan. 7:13-14). By declaring himself to be the “Son of Man” Jesus implies that he has the sole authority to interpret and fulfill the Sabbath law and therefore has authority over the Sabbath.
Jesus entered the synagogue on another Sabbath and a man with a withered hand was there. In contrast to the Temple, synagogues served as places of Jewish worship and learning, welcoming all Jewish individuals, regardless of physical disabilities. There was a common belief in ancient Judaism that physical disabilities or illnesses could be the result of sin. The religious leaders watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath which they would consider a violation of the Sabbath Law. Jesus realized their intentions and called the man to stand before him. He challenged the religious leaders’ understanding of the Sabbath Law by posing the rhetorical question; Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath and save lives, or is it better to do evil and destroy them? Jesus healed the man thereby demonstrating his authority over sickness and disability. Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath's true purpose to bring healing and restoration. The religious leaders became enraged and began to plot against him.
Heavenly Father, your mercy endures forever. Enlighten our minds and straighten our ways so that we may prioritize acts of mercy and compassion to the sick and needy. Help us to follow Jesus' example of healing and restoration, even as we need healing and restoration. Grant us the wisdom to discern your will and the courage to live it out each day. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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Sources:
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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