The Gospel Of Mark: The Sabbath

One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” ~ Mark 2:23-28



I remember going into the grocery store on Sundays when I was a kid growing up in Texas, and large drop cloths were placed over sections of the shelves on certain aisles. Everything that was considered "general merchandise" was off limits, as were unnecessary food items. 

And you couldn't even dream of getting any alcohol on a Sunday!

That was, for us, the closest thing to understanding this Sabbath situation Jesus finds himself in.

But then, as now, restrictions on the Sabbath were for the most part man-made. Yes, scripture had strong guidelines, but it was the scribes, who were like lawyers, and Pharisees, the political party that interpreted law through the lens of tradition more than scripture, who pointed out and often tried to enforce the strict code. 

But as with any human understanding of law, there are imperfections.

But for Jesus, it's pretty simple, isn't it?

God made the Sabbath for us. God didn't make us for the Sabbath.

Over the next 2000 years, people would continue to twist themselves in knots telling people what they could and couldn't do on the Sabbath.

For Jesus, however, it is he who is the Lord of the Sabbath. All those rules? They don't amount to anything compared to this mysterious Master, Messiah, Son, and Lord.


Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen



Engagement Questions:


What are the ways you keep the Sabbath? What are the ways you've seen the Sabbath restricted?


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