23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Mark 2:23-28 KJV)
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
Here, Jesus justifies his disciples for plucking the ears of grain on the Sabbath, something a disciple of the Pharisees would never dare to do because it violated a tradition of the elders. As before, they criticize Christ’s school of discipline, as if it were not as strict as theirs. It’s common for those who don’t value true godliness to be obsessed with outward forms and to judge those who don’t follow their exact customs.
Notice what a poor breakfast Christ’s disciples had on a Sabbath morning as they were on their way to worship (Mark 2:23). They plucked ears of grain, and that was all they had. They were so focused on spiritual nourishment that they forgot even their basic needs. The Jews thought it religious to eat fine food on the Sabbath, but the disciples were content with whatever they had.
Even this simple act was criticized by the Pharisees, who claimed it was unlawful to pluck grain on the Sabbath, comparing it to reaping (Mark 2:24). If Christ’s disciples do something perceived as unlawful, Christ himself is blamed and dishonored. When the Pharisees thought Christ had done wrong, they complained to the disciples (Mark 2:16), and now, when they think the disciples did wrong, they speak to Christ, trying to cause division and undermine trust between Christ and his followers.
Christ defends his disciples’ action of plucking the ears of grain on the Sabbath in two ways:
First, by citing an example. They had a good precedent in David’s eating of the showbread when he was hungry and no other food was available (Mark 2:25-26). “Have you never read?” Many of our mistakes and unjust judgments could be corrected if we simply remembered what Scripture says—appeals to the Bible are the most convincing.
“You’ve read that David, a man after God’s own heart, when he was hungry, had no problem eating the showbread, even though by law only priests and their families could eat it.”
Ritual observances must give way to moral necessities; what would normally be forbidden can be acceptable in a case of real need. This happened in the days of Abiathar the high priest—or just before, when his father Abimelech held the office. Abiathar may have already been helping him at that time and was the one who later escaped the massacre and brought the ephod to David.
Second, by argument. To help them understand the disciples’ actions, Christ points out:
Firstly, who was the Sabbath made for (Mark 2:27): it was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a divine institution, but it should be received as a privilege and blessing, not as a burden. God never intended it to be a burden, so we must not treat it that way. People were made a day before the Sabbath was instituted. We were made for God and his service, and we should be willing to die rather than deny him. But we weren’t made for the Sabbath in such a way that its rules should stop us from doing what’s necessary to stay alive.
God designed the Sabbath for our benefit, and we should use it that way.
- God considered our physical needs in giving the Sabbath, so that we wouldn’t be worn out with constant work (Deuteronomy 5:14): “That your male and female servants may rest.” If God intended Sabbath rest for our bodies, he certainly didn’t mean it to prevent us from meeting essential physical needs. It must be understood in a way that supports life, not contradicts it.
- God cared even more about our souls. The Sabbath is a day of rest only so that it can be a day of holy work, of communion with God, and of praise and thanksgiving. We stop our worldly business to focus on spiritual things, both in public and private. But time is allowed for what’s necessary to prepare our bodies to support our souls in worship, so both body and soul can engage fully in God’s service.
What a good Master we serve—all his commands are for our benefit. If we’re wise enough to follow them, we’re the ones who gain, not God. What we should aim for in our Sabbath observance is the good of our souls. If the Sabbath was made for us, then we should ask ourselves at the end of the day, “What good did I get from this Sabbath?” We must also be careful not to turn spiritual exercises into burdens, either by being too strict or too lax. If we do, we turn what should be a joy into a chore.
Secondly, Christ reminds them who made the Sabbath (Mark 2:28): “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” So he will not allow the Sabbath’s good purpose to be ruined by human rules.
The Sabbath is the day of the Son of Man. He is Lord of the day, and it must be observed for his honor. By him, God made the world, and through him the Sabbath was first instituted. He gave the law at Mount Sinai, including the fourth commandment. The change that was soon to come—shifting the Sabbath to the first day of the week—was in remembrance of his resurrection. That’s why the Christian Sabbath is called “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10), the day of the Lord Christ. Christ, as Mediator, must always be regarded as Lord of the Sabbath. He expands on this point further when defending himself against charges of breaking the Sabbath in John 5:16.
Mark Chapter 2
- Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man, Mark 2:1-12
- Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners, Mark 2:13-17
- Jesus Questioned About Fasting, Mark 2:18-22
- Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath, Mark 2:23-28