Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

We’ve been looking at Mark’s account of Jesus’ life.  

Chapter 2 says that one Sabbath, Jesus’ disciples were snacking on ears of corn in a field. Bible scholars complained to Jesus that harvesting grain broke God’s law against working on the Sabbath. 

Jesus asked the scholars, “Haven’t you read that when David was running from King Saul, he ate consecrated bread from the tabernacle, which the law says only priests can eat?” (Mark 2:25-26)

It’s not clear exactly what point Jesus was making. Perhaps he approved of David breaking a ceremonial law when he needed food. Or perhaps he was saying to the Pharisees, “If David whom you honor ate forbidden bread, it’s hypocritical to rag on the disciples for eating a bit of corn.” 

God loved David, even when he disobeyed the laws of adultery and murder. Perhaps the lesson from David’s life is that the Bible scholars,  and we, can be patient with small sins and large. 

Next Jesus makes a very pointed comment, saying, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). God isn’t a policeman issuing tickets for every minor violation. No! He’s a father, caring for his family. It’s good for God’s family to have a Sabbath, a weekly day of rest. But don’t make picky rules about it. Let the disciples pick a few ears of corn.

Here, Jesus interprets God’s law not as a system of arbitrary restrictions on human behavior, but as God’s invitation to a wholesome and balanced life. You work for a living? Don’t make work your life. Give it a rest. Take a Sabbath. Walk through the grainfields, eat some corn, enjoy the world God made and the life he has given you. 

Jesus made another point. “The Son of Man,” he said, “is Lord of the Sabbath.” The Son of Man doesn’t just tell the scholars they are wrong about God’s law. As Lord of the Sabbath, he stands above the law. The Sabbath is his creation and property, and laws about the Sabbath are his to make or break. 

Lord of the Sabbath? This is the first time Jesus calls himself “Lord” of anything. But isn’t God the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of the law? Who is this son of man, who argues with the scholars, who claims to forgive sin, who announces himself as Lord of the Sabbath? Isn’t he trespassing on territory that belongs to God? Is this man guilty of overreach? 

Stay tuned. 

Let’s pray. 

Oh Jesus, son of man, you said that healing the paralytic proved you had power to forgive sins. Now you call yourself Lord of the Sabbath, and criticize the scholars’ understanding of God and his law. 

O Jesus, help us to see God through your eyes. A God who didn’t criticize David for eating priestly bread. A God who doesn’t nitpick with the disciples for picking corn on the Sabbath. A God who gives us the world and the grainfields and a day of rest to enjoy. A God who gets frustrated with the quibbling of scholars.

O Jesus, forgive us where we have chafed under God’s authority and resented his laws. Forgive us where we have tried to please God by offering detailed obedience, instead of enjoying him as our father. 

O Christ, give us your vision of God, a generous and flexible father. And your vision of his laws, as guidelines and warnings that lead us to freedom and peace. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

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