While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
REFLECTION
“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
St Luke was a physician, an artist, knew Greek well and was a skillful writer. He is the only Gospel writer to include the Parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, emphasizing the compassion and kindness of Jesus to all. To know Jesus is to love Him.
How does this Gospel reading help me for I already observe the Sabbath or Sunday after the Resurrection? In the Old Testament, Jeremiah (Jer 17: 27) wrote that if you do not obey God and keep holy the Sabbath day the punishment would be fire consumption of the palaces of Jerusalem. So, yes, the Pharisees were questioning Jesus and His observance of the law. After all, harvesting ( they were rubbing their hands , removing the husk from the grain) on the Sabbath was forbidden (Exodus 34:21)
Jesus points out to them that David took the “showbread” or the bread offering of the priests and shared it with his companions who were hungry. This was a foretelling of the Holy Eucharist. Jesus reveals He is the Davidic Messiah, the Lord of the Sabbath.
It is very easy to find fault or judge the Pharisees. After all they were observing the law. When we meet people, the tendency might be to" throw at them all we know" about Jesus practically telling them that we are right and they are wrong. It takes time, understanding our faith and being able to explain to others why Jesus is the Messiah, why He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is kind and compassionate and will give us the graces and virtues to follow Him if we so choose. He is love and mercy seeking to have a relationship with us. It is in this relationship that our lives change as we experience His merciful love and get to know Him and desire to please Him. The Holy Eucharist will transform us to be like Him.
Please join our Sunday bible study FACE ZBS for a deeper knowledge of Jesus, the Messiah. Get to know Him, and fall in love with Him.
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