Our first two stories today were about the Sabbath, of Jesus participating in the Sabbath and times where he broke away from it. He defied some of the customs and the laws surrounding the Sabbath. To understand this, we probably need to spend a little bit of time talking about what the Sabbath is so we can understand why what Jesus was doing was so difficult for people to understand and accept.
If we go back to creation, we know that human beings, at least in the second creation story, were created on the sixth day. Their first experience of creation is the seventh day, the day of rest. We often think of human beings as created to work, to labor, to till the garden, to fill our time with productivity, making things with our hands, and transforming the world. But if we go back to that initial creation story, the first experience that humans had was the day of rest that God had set aside in that cycle of creation.
The Sabbath, as ordained in Exodus, was set aside as a day of rest, a day to be recognized not only for the people's sake but so that others watching would see as well. It was a sign of being set apart, a sign that our lives were not dedicated solely to work and productivity, but that there should be a place of rest. The laws around the Sabbath, determining what could and couldn’t be done, were based on the kinds of labor required to build the tabernacle—such as collecting grain, cutting wood, and performing other tasks necessary for its construction. These were considered work, and doing them on the Sabbath was prohibited.
The whole point of the Sabbath is the idea that we belong to God and that God has commanded us to set aside time for him—to rest in him, to find our place, and to ensure that life is not entirely about what we do. By focusing on God for that day, we are a people set apart.
This is the background against which Jesus was acting, and this is what some Pharisees were observing as they watched him. I emphasize "some" because these passages have often been misused to create division and hostility between Christians and Jews. Too often, they have been interpreted as Jesus doing what is right and merciful while the Pharisees—and, by extension, all Jews—are doing what is wrong, prioritizing laws over compassion. This misrepresentation has fueled misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Judaism.
I want to challenge that interpretation. Not all Pharisees opposed Jesus, and not all Jews rejected his message. Furthermore, the Sabbath was, and still is, incredibly important to both the Jewish and Christian faiths. Jesus' actions should challenge us to ask why he was willing to go against the customs of his time. His actions were not about dismissing the Sabbath as unnecessary but about redefining its meaning and purpose.
Even today, Jews honor the Sabbath in drastically different ways, with varying levels of observance. For example, our Lunch and Learn group watched a video within the last year about an eruv, a wire that surrounds neighborhoods in New York City, allowing Orthodox Jews to carry objects and perform certain activities on the Sabbath within its boundaries. This wire is checked and maintained daily. It is a tangible expression of the deep commitment to honoring the Sabbath and upholding God’s laws.
During Jesus’ time, the people had come together to define how the Sabbath should be observed. Jesus challenged these customs, not because Jews were unmerciful and he was, but because he wanted to demonstrate a deeper understanding of God’s intent. If Jesus honored the Sabbath and also broke it at times, we must ask why he did so and what we can learn from it.
In the first case, Jesus and his disciples were plucking grain as they walked through a field. While our modern sensibilities might be more concerned about taking food from another farmer’s land, in biblical times, this was perfectly legal. The issue was that Jesus was breaking the Sabbath. He responded by citing the story of David eating the consecrated bread, concluding with the powerful statement: "The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath." This declaration set him apart as the Son of God, suggesting that Sabbath rules did not apply to him in the same way.
The second story involves Jesus healing a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees and Sadducees were watching him closely, ready to accuse him if he violated the Sabbath laws. Their accusation was not necessarily a legal matter but a theological debate. In Jesus’ time, rabbis challenged each other’s interpretations of the Torah, questioning whose teaching was correct. When the Pharisees challenged Jesus, they were essentially asking: "Why should people follow him if he does not even keep something as fundamental as the Sabbath?"
Jesus responded by healing the man, demonstrating that acts of mercy and restoration were in alignment with the true spirit of the Sabbath. His actions were intentional, setting himself apart and revealing his authority.
The final story in today's reading is the calling of the apostles. This passage reminds us that Jesus had many disciples beyond the twelve. Disciples followed a teacher, learned from them, and sought to become like them. Jesus spent the night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles, demonstrating the importance of seeking God’s guidance before making major decisions. Even knowing that Judas would betray him, he chose him anyway.
Ultimately, these three stories are about understanding God’s timing. When is the right time to observe the Sabbath? When is the right time to break from its observance? When is the right time to eat, heal, or make significant decisions? The answer lies in seeking God's time.
Our task is to ask ourselves daily: "God, in what I am doing and what I am planning, am I moving too fast or too slow? Am I acting in boldness or holding back in fear? Am I honoring your time or relying on my own?" Through prayer, worship, study, and community, we can discern these answers more clearly and align ourselves with God's perfect timing.