First after Trinity
“Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath”
Summary
Today marks the beginning of Ordinary Time, that stretches over almost half a year between Trinity and All Saints, in which we get on with the ordinary business of being God’s people; in our gospel today, Mark 2:23-3:6, Jesus reminds us what this is. For Jesus it is clearly not about observing the Sabbath: a day of rest echoing God’s rest after completing creation. The world is no longer as it was in the beginning, when God saw that it was good. Jesus encounters brokenness, injustice, exclusion and oppression and he cannot rest because creation is not complete. For Christians the Sabbath is celebrated not on the seventh day, the last day of the week, but on the eight day, the first day of the week. Week after week we are called again to participate in God’s work of renewing the face of creation until, not just we, but all creation, can once more enjoy the Sabbath rest.
GOSPEL
Mark 2.23-3:6
‘One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; 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.’
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
