The Sabbath was made for man

EXTRACT: The traditions of the elders were very strict and were applied by the Pharisees without compassion.ย  Thus the Sabbath, which was intended to be the best day of the week, was converted into the worst day of the week.

The Sabbath was made for man.ย  The real needs of people are therefore always more important than the Sabbath.

While the disciples were with Jesus, they were in Godโ€™s service for the redemption of sinners, and thus allowed to do work required for that purpose.

By debating with the Pharisees what is allowed on that day, and by saying that โ€œthe Sabbath was made for manโ€, Jesus confirmed the Sabbath as a binding obligation.ย 

Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5

Overview

One Sabbath Jesus and His disciples walked through a grainfield.ย  His disciples, because they were hungry, started to pick the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating.ย  Some Pharisees saw this and immediately complained to Jesus, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath”.

This is one of five conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees, with respect to the Sabbath, that are recorded in the Bible, and the only one not caused by a healing miracle.

It is difficult to imagine how the Jews could consider the mere picking and eating of grain, while one is walking through a grain field, to be โ€œwork,โ€ but this indicates how strict the traditions of the elders were.ย  The purpose of the Sabbath was to provide a reprieve from the everyday toil to enjoy a day of rest.ย  But by disallowing anything that even remotely looks like work; even pleasurable activities such as picking and eating grain, the Sabbath became the opposite of what it was supposed to be.ย  No longer was it the best day of the week, but it became the worst day of the week.

In defense of His disciples, Jesus firstly used the example of David and his men who, when they were hungry, ate the temple bread which only the priests were permitted to eat.ย  By means of this analogy, Christ indicated that the real needs of people are always more important than the Sabbath.

To defend His disciples Christ secondly referred to the priests who โ€œbreak the Sabbathโ€ by working in the templeย but remain without guilt because they did this work in Godโ€™s service.ย  Christ then applied this principle to His disciples by saying, โ€œsomething greater than the temple is hereโ€.ย  He was referring to Himself as โ€œgreater than the templeโ€.ย  By comparing Himself to the temple He was, by implication, saying that the disciples were equivalent to priests serving in the temple.ย  While they were with Him, they were in Godโ€™s service for the redemption of sinners, and people are allowed to work on the Sabbath if that work is necessitated by being in Godโ€™s service.

Christ thirdly accused the Pharisees of judging without compassion.ย  The first two arguments are two different reasons why His disciples are โ€œinnocentโ€ (Matt 12:7), but with this argument, He attacks the Pharisees.ย  Because the Sabbath is intended to allow rest from the hard work, compassion is particularly applicable to the Sabbath, but the hunger which plagued His disciples did not kindle any feeling of tenderness or eagerness to help within the hearts of the Pharisees.

Christ fourthly added the principle that โ€œthe Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbathโ€.ย  He said this because the Jews, through their traditions, made man the servant of the Sabbath. They made Sabbath holiness the goal, and man the means to achieve this.ย  But the Sabbath was created for manโ€™s benefit. The Sabbath is the means and manโ€™s welfare and happiness are the goals.ย  For that reason, human needs are always more important than the Sabbath. To forbid hungry travelers to pick heads of grain is to pervert the Sabbathโ€™s intended purpose.

Christ concluded, โ€œso the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbathโ€. The word โ€œsoโ€ means that the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) because โ€œthe Sabbath was made for manโ€ (Mark 2:27).ย  The title โ€œSon of Manโ€ comes from Daniel 7:13-14, where โ€œOne like a Son of Manโ€ receives โ€œeverlasting dominionโ€ over โ€œall the peoples, nations and men of every languageโ€.ย  Putting these thoughts together, He is Lord of the Sabbath because He is Lord over man, while the Sabbath is part of manโ€™s existence.ย 

Some find in Christโ€™s claim, to be the Lord of the Sabbath, a statement to the effect that He will change or abrogate the Sabbath.ย  However, by debating with the Pharisees, on the basis of the Old Testament, what is allowed on the Sabbath, He confirmed that it is a binding obligation.ย  He was here defending His disciples who were accused of breaking the Sabbath.ย  This would have been an ideal opportunity to say that the Sabbath was or will be abrogated or changed soon.ย  But He gave no such indication.ย  On the contrary, His statement that โ€œthe Sabbath was made for manโ€ implies that the Sabbath will remain for as long as man exists.

In conclusion, His arguments can be divided into two principles.ย  The reference to David and His men, His demand for compassion and His statement that โ€œthe Sabbath was made for manโ€ can be combined into a single observation, namely that the Sabbath exists for manโ€™s benefit and must serve manโ€™s needs.

This principle applies in all circumstances, but His other principle is specific to the unique circumstances of the incident, namely that the โ€œLord of the Sabbathโ€, who is โ€œgreater than the templeโ€, โ€œis hereโ€.ย  His presence transformed His disciples into the equivalent of โ€œpriests in the templeโ€œ, who are allowed to work on the Sabbath. The principle is that work in Godโ€™s service, which is work for manโ€™s redemption, is allowed on the Sabbath.

Somebody elseโ€™s grain

To walk through somebody elseโ€™s grain field and eat the grain was an accepted practice in Jewish society.ย  The Law expressly laid it down that the hungry traveler was entitled to do that, on condition that he only uses his hands and not a sickle (Deut 23:24-25; cf. Lev 19:9; 23:22; Ruth 2; cf. Mishnah Peah 8, 7). But to do this on the Sabbath was interpreted by the traditions to be an act of desecration. Not only was picking the heads of grain regarded as reaping but the rubbing of it in the hands was regarded as threshing.

Christโ€™s Responses

Jesus responded with four or perhaps five statements. All four statements are provided by Matthew 12, but only the first and the last by Mark 2 and Luke 6. However, the fourth statement is given more fully in Mark 2 than in the other two gospels:

โ€œHave you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?โ€

โ€œOr have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.โ€

โ€œBut if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.โ€

โ€œThe Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.โ€

Harsh Traditions

As stated above, the Sabbath was created to be the best day of the week, but the extremely harsh traditions, combined with the strict policing by the proud and terrifying religious rulers, made it the worst day of the week.

Many people still today keep the Sabbath; either on Saturday or on Sunday, but make the same mistake. In their eagerness to ensure that they comply with the law they disallow even pleasurable activities, such as swimming or hiking. The poor children suffer the most. The purpose of the Jewish Sabbath was to be a day of joy. There were some animal sacrifices prescribed for the Sabbath, but it was not prescribed as a day for religious activities. It was a day to cease the hard work of the other days and to rest and enjoy. If it is your view that you must keep the Sabbath, please ensure that you keep it as a day to enjoy.

To Do Good

In the healing Sabbath controversies, Christ argued that โ€œit is lawful to do good on the Sabbathโ€.ย  โ€œTo do goodโ€ implies doing something for somebody else. In the current instance, since the disciples were picking grains for themselves, He did not use this justification.

David and His Men

In response, Jesus firstly used the example of David and his men who, when they were hungry, ate the temple bread which only the priests were permitted to eat (Matt 12:3-4; Mark 2:25-26; Luke 6:3-4).ย  This example presents us with an order of priority: easing the hunger of David and his men, in their hour of crisis, was more important than the prescripts with respect to the showbread. By implication, Christ was saying that to ease the hunger of the disciples was more important than the Sabbath. Generally stated, the real needs of people are always more important than the Sabbath.

Priests in the Temple

Christ secondly referred to the priests who โ€œbreak the Sabbathโ€ by working in the temple but remain without guilt because they did this work in Godโ€™s service (Matt 12:5-6). For instance, the priests baked bread (Exo 16:23; 1 Sam 21:3-6) to replace the week-old bread of the presence (Lev 24:8; 1 Chron 9:32) and performed many other tasks related to the maintenance of the temple and sacrificial system. The same labor in a secular context would not be allowed on the Sabbath. The principle is that work is allowed on the Sabbath if that work is done in God’s service of redemption; to provide forgiveness and salvation to sinners.

Christ applied this principle to His disciples by saying, โ€œsomething greater than the temple is hereโ€ (Matt 12:6).ย  He was referring to Himself as โ€œgreater than the templeโ€ (compare Matt 12:41, 42).ย  The temple and its services were mere symbols of Christ and His mission.ย  By comparing Himself to the temple He was, by implication, saying that the disciples were equivalent to priests serving in the temple. While they were with Him, they were in Godโ€™s service for the redemption of sinners, and people are allowed to work on the Sabbath if that work is necessitated by being in Godโ€™s service!

This principle must be distinguished from the argument which Jesus used to justify His Sabbath healing miracles in the gospel of John, where He said that, by healing on the Sabbath, He is doing the work of the Father.ย  Healing is directly doing Godโ€™s work to redeem and restore men.ย  The picking of grain was not directly doing Godโ€™s work, but doing other work done while in Godโ€™s service.

Compassion

Christ thirdly said:

โ€œBut if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.โ€ (Matt 12:7)

Christ here quotes from the prophet Hosea, who rebukes his people for โ€œseeking the Lord . . . with their flocks and herdsโ€ (Hosea 5:6) as if God could be appeased by the many and costly sacrifices (cf. 1 Sam 15:22), stating that compassion is more important than sacrifices.

With this quote, Christ accused the Pharisees of judging without compassion.ย  The first two arguments are two different reasons why His disciples are โ€œinnocentโ€ (Matt 12:7), but with this argument, He attacked the Pharisees.

Compassion can be defined as sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others; a feeling of sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Because the Sabbath is intended to allow rest from the hard work, compassion is particularly applicable to the Sabbath, but the hunger which plagued His disciples did not kindle any feeling of tenderness or eagerness to help within the hearts of the Pharisees.ย  Instead, they were quick to condemn the disciples.ย  As Jesus said at another time:

โ€œWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulnessโ€ (Matt 23:23).

To pretend to speak for God and then to judge people harshly is a horrible sin because it misrepresents God as cruel and harsh, and what sin could be worse?ย  It drives people away from God and away from the Truth.ย  Let us rather mimic the One that said to the woman caught in adultery:

โ€œI do not condemn you, eitherโ€ (John 8:11).

Let us also judge people with compassion.ย  Christ also said: “in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to youโ€ (Matt 7:2).ย  Do you want to be judged the way that you judge other people?

The Sabbath was made for Man

Christ fourthly added this principle:

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbathย (Mark 2:27).

Christ here referred to the creation account, where it is stated that the Sabbath was created to be a blessing (Gen 2:3); in other words, for manโ€™s benefit. โ€œThe Sabbath was madeโ€ by God by resting on the seventh day and then by blessing and sanctifying the day. God was not tired after six days of work.ย  He did not have to rest. He rested to set an example to man. The Sabbath is not merely a reminder that God rested on the seventh day; God rested to create the seventh day.

The Jewish traditions made man the servant of the Sabbath. It made Sabbath holiness the goal, and man had to ensure this. But the Sabbath was created for manโ€™s benefit; for his welfare and happiness.ย  Therefore human needs are more important than the Sabbath.ย  Wearisome rules with respect to how the Sabbath is to be observed, defeats it purpose.

Compassion is a fundamental principle of Godโ€™s kingdom, but the principle that โ€œthe Sabbath was made for manโ€ provides particular support for Christโ€™s demand for compassion for the sufferings or misfortunes of others when judging people with respect to what they do in the Sabbath.

Lord of the Sabbath

Christ concluded:

โ€œSo the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbathโ€ (Mark 2:28; Matt 12:8; Luke 6:5).

Why did Christ find it necessary to say that He is โ€œLord even of the Sabbathโ€?

Some propose that He said it to indicate that He will change or abrogate the Sabbath, but there is no indication of this in the text.ย  To the contrary, His statement that โ€œthe Sabbath was made for manโ€ implies that the Sabbath will remain for as long as man exists.

It is proposed here that He did not say that He is โ€œLord even of the Sabbathโ€ to say something about the Sabbath, but to say something about Himself.ย  In the same context He also said that โ€œthe Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sinsโ€ (Mark 2:10). that โ€œAll things have been handed over to Me by My Fatherโ€ (Matt 11:27) and that He is โ€œgreater than the templeโ€, โ€œgreater than Jonahโ€ andย  โ€œgreater than Solomonโ€ (Matt 12:6, 41, 42).ย  And frequently He identified Himself as the โ€œSon of manโ€.ย  This identifies Him as the โ€œOne like a Son of Manโ€ who will receive โ€œeverlasting dominionโ€ over โ€œall the peoples, nations and men of every languageโ€ (Daniel 7:13-14).

Conclusion

In conclusion His arguments can be divided into two principles.ย  The reference to David and His men, His demand for compassion and His statement that โ€œthe Sabbath was made for manโ€ can be combined into a single principle, namely that the Sabbath exists for manโ€™s benefit and must serve manโ€™s needs.

This principle applies in all circumstances, but His other argument is specific to the unique circumstances of the incident, namely that the โ€œLord of the Sabbathโ€ (Matt 12:8; Luke 6:5), who is โ€œgreater than the templeโ€, โ€œis hereโ€ (Matt 12:6). His presence transformed His disciples into the equivalent of โ€œpriests in the templeโ€œ, who are allowed to work on the Sabbath (Matt 12:5). The principle is that work while in Godโ€™s service, for manโ€™s redemption, is allowed on the Sabbath.

ARTICLES IN THE SERIES ON THE SABBATH

THE SABBATH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Blessed and Sanctified at Creation
The Evolution theory makes the Bible null and void.
The Sabbath before the time of Moses
In the Ten Commandments
In the Traditions of the Elders

CHRIST’S SABBATH HEALING MIRACLES

A demon-possessed man and Simonโ€™s mother-in-law
The man with the withered hand
ย  ย  (The rulers wanted Jesus to heal on the sabbath.)
The crippled woman
The paralytic man at Bethesda
The man that was born blindย 

CHRIST’S TEACHINGS ON THE SABBATH

The Sabbath was made for man.
ย  ย  (The disciples picked grain on the Sabbath.)
Jesus deliberately contravened the Sabbath.
The Real Reason they killed Jesus
His miracles gave Him the opportunity to teach.
What did Jesus teach about the Sabbath?
Jesus taught a different Sabbath.
Jesus replaced the Law of Moses with the Law of Christ.

SABBATH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS

The Sabbath is not repeated in the New Testament.
–ย 
Romans 14:5-6 – Each must be fully convinced in his own mind.

ARTICLE SERIES

Sabbath – List of articles
Jesus is not God, but He is God.

Daniel 9 – Overview of the four major interpretations
Seven Seal of Revelation – Verse by verse summary
General Table of Contents