This morning we come to the second part of conflict that Jesus encountered regarding the Sabbath. Last week we saw the Pharisees objecting to his disciples’ failure to observe the nit-picky rules that the religious leaders had established for Sabbath observance. In that conflict, we saw what the Sabbath was meant to be: a blessing to humanity. The Sabbath is a means to an end, not the end in itself. So, Jesus told the Pharisees, “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” The Sabbath was intended to bless humanity (and all of creation) with rest. And, it points forward to the eternal rest that Christ will bring in the new heavens and new earth. So, Jesus pronounced in verse 28 of Chapter 2, “The son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” In our text this morning, we pick up immediately after this conflict, still on the same Sabbath day. Let’s begin by reading Mark 3:1-6. From this text, see two points: the Meaning of Rest and the Major offense.
First, from verses 1-5, consider the meaning of rest. Last week we defined what the Sabbath is, so this week, Jesus addresses another question: what is the right way to observe the Sabbath? We are told, in verse 1, that Jesus did what every Jew was expected to do on the Sabbath. He went to his local synagogue. And, while he was there, he saw a man with a withered hand. Knowing that the religious leaders were watching his every move, he decides to turn the tables on them. Instead of them putting him to the test, he will test them. So, he calls this lame man over, and in front of all of the pious Sabbath keepers, he asks, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” Oh, what a brilliant question! At face value, this question contains within it the very answer. Jesus asks, is it right to do good or evil? Well, obviously, it’s right to do good. There is no need to ask the question. Is it right to save a life or to take one? Again, easy answer – save a life. So, why does Jesus ask a question with such an obvious answer? There are two reasons. First, this question, with its obvious answer, establishes the priority of the Sabbath, and all of the Law, for that matter. This question and its answer hinge on a right understanding of the Law. Why did God give us the Ten Commandments in the first place? What is their aim? Jesus answers that question in Luke 10:27, when he tells the scribe of the two greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” The whole of the law is summed up in these two. This means that we can determine how best to obey any law by this standard – does it glorify God and does it honor human life. You could say, that’s exactly what Jesus asks when he says, “Is it better to do good or evil [love of God]? Is it better to save a life or take it [love of neighbor]?”
So, here is the meaning and priority of the Sabbath – glorify God and honor human life. There is no law, given by God, that prevents you from glorifying him on the Sabbath. And, there is no law, given by God, that prevents you from doing good to your fellow man on the Sabbath. You cannot use the law as your excuse in avoiding care for your neighbor. You cannot say, “Well, I would help this person stranded on the road, but I have to get to Sunday school.” Love of God and neighbor are always right.
The second reason Jesus asks this question leads us to the second point: the Major Offense. Jesus asks this question because he knows that the religious leaders cannot answer it. In fact, we see that, as Mark notes in verse 4, “But they were silent.” Oh, imagine the hardness of heart that would be required to refuse to answer such an easy question. It should be as easy as answering: “I have this little baby’s life in my hands, should I save it or kill it?” The answer is always and emphatically, YES! – regardless of what the secular liberals may tell you. But, they remained silent because they know what the obvious answer would mean. To answer would be to acknowledge that Jesus is right about the Sabbath – it is a means to an end, not the end in itself. The ultimate goal of the Law was to glorify God and honor human life, and yet the religious leaders had failed, time and again, to do these things. They had used the law to manipulate people and gain power. There is no telling how many times they’d ignored, mocked, and ridiculed this lame man. But, Jesus saw him for who he was: made in the image of God and worthy of love and restoration. And Jesus proved, in that moment, to be the Lord of the Sabbath, as he commanded the man to stretch out his hand, and his hand was restored.
So, we are told in verse 6, that the Pharisees partnered with the Herodians to kill Jesus because of this. I’ve made the point over the last three weeks that Jesus’s claims about fasting and the Sabbath both point to his divinity. If you still don’t believe that all of this proves that Jesus is God, just consider the response of his enemies. They recognized his claims to be Lord of the Sabbath for what they were, and they sought to kill him for it.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath because he is Lord of Heaven and Earth. And he calls us to love God and our fellow man because this is the whole of the Law. This is the will of God for us. So may we be obedient to the Lord by glorifying God and honoring life.
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