Today’s Scripture Readings

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, ‘Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?’ But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. Then he said to them, ‘If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?’ And they could not reply to this.

The scribes and the Pharisees accused Jesus of being a lawbreaker on several occasions. And indeed, if we read this passage through a purely moral or legal lens, we might be tempted to concede that they have a point. The Law states that one should do no work on the Sabbath (cf. Exodus 20:8–10; Deuteronomy 5:12–14), and Jesus heals this man. Case closed?

Here, of course, it is not Jesus’ understanding of the Law that is deficient, but rather that of the scribes and the Pharisees. This is the very superficiality and blindness that Jesus seeks to heal us from through his actions and teachings.

To understand how to properly fulfil the Law, one must understand its nature and purpose. The Sabbath laws marked out the identity of the people of Israel as God’s chosen and beloved. This day of rest was to underscore their dignity and aid in their healing and well-being. Jesus’ actions are not intended to do away with the dignity of that Law, but rather to bring about a still greater fulfilment of its intent. He declares elsewhere, ‘The Sabbath was made for man.’ (Mark 2:27).

In healing this man, Jesus shows no disrespect for the intent of the Sabbath. Rather, just as the Sabbath was intended to, he demonstrates the favour and healing love of God. There can be no law against the outpouring of divine love (cf. Galatians 5:22–23).