“Lord of the Sabbath”

Read Luke 6:1-5

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Jesus’s attitude towards the ceremonial law has been a recurring issue and Sabbath observance is another aspect of that. The Jews took very seriously the commandment to do no work on the Sabbath (1-2; Exod.20:8-11). But in doing so they had missed the whole point of this holy day.

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Once again Jesus showed that for him human need was more important than ceremonial law (cf. Lk.5:30-31), here using the example of David when he and his men ate the bread dedicated for ceremonial use (3-4; 1 Sam.21:1-6).  Strictly, this bread should only have been eaten by priests but its use to meet a human need provides a general principle for all ceremonial law. A similar point is made in regard to the priestly work in the temple, and Jesus also points out “that one greater than the temple is here” (Mt.12:5-6).

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Additional verses in Matthew and Mark make clear that the Sabbath should be a benefit for mankind and not a burden (Mt.12:7; Mk.2:27). It’s God’s gift to us, to provide rest from labour and opportunity for worship. Jesus, the Son of Man, who is Lord of Mankind, has the authority to determine what is appropriate behaviour for the Sabbath day – he is the one who is Lord of the Sabbath (5).

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