To set this up Jesus and his disciples are walking through the grain fields on the Sabbath. They saw some grain and because they were hungry they ate some. The religious Pharisees saw this and thought that they had caught Jesus and his disciples being unlawful. They pounced on this opportunity because they were looking for anything to prove that Jesus was not the Messiah. Pay attention to how Jesus responds to them. I think it is hilarious. Keep in mind the Pharisees job is literally to read the Bible and interpret the law. They are professional Bible readers and Jesus says “Haven’t you read?” And then Jesus gives them two examples in the Bible, that they are supposed to know better than anyone, of how people ate on the Sabbath. One example is where David saw on the Sabbath that his people were hungry and went into the temple and they ate the bread of presence, which was unlawful according to man. The second example Jesus gives them is when he asks them about the priests who violated the Sabbath and are innocent? This is referencing how the priests prepared the sacrifices on the Sabbath. The priests would be responsible for killing animals, preparing sacrifices, maintaining the altar fire, and carrying out ceremonial work which was “work.” Proving that the “man made” interpretation of the Sabbath was wrong. So basically, in a nice way, Jesus tells the Pharisees (that professionally read the Bible) they don’t know what they are talking about. This absolutely had to offend the Pharisees. Then Jesus follows them to their synagogue. There was a man with a withered hand that was there. You know that the man with the withered hand had to be ashamed of his hand. Back in these agricultural days a man worked with his hands to feed and provide for his family. It says Jesus saw the man and before he went to heal the man’s hand the Pharisees used this man’s weakness and shame to use him as a pawn in their religious scheme to try to tear Jesus down. Jesus tells the Pharisees, “who among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? A person is worth far more than a sheep; so it is lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath?” After this he heals the man. Jesus is showing in real time that man has misinterpreted the law that he gave to us. Man says that in the Sabbath you shouldn’t work and Jesus tells them that works unto the Lord is not the works he was talking about.
In Mark 2:27 Jesus says:
“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.”
Jesus’s point is God created the Sabbath as a gift and blessing for humanity. It was meant for rest, worship, restoration, and mercy.
Humanity was not created to be crushed under legalistic rule-keeping. God does not care about the rituals and religious acts that we perform. He cares about the heart and purpose that we perform them in. What someone else does to give glory to God may look different than what or how you give glory to God. The condition of the heart is what is important to the Lord. Who or what your heart belongs too is what God really cares about. Love y’all. Have a great day!
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