THE QUESTION whether Jesus was a Sabbath-breaker or not, arose again
soon after he came back to Galilee. On a Sabbath day Jesus was walking
with his disciples through the fields of grain. Some of the disciples
were hungry, and as they walked picked the heads of the wheat, rubbed
them in their hands, blew away the chaff and ate the kernels of grain.
The law of the Israelites allowed anyone walking by a field of grain to
help himself to all that he wished to eat, but forbade him to take any
to his home.
But to the Pharisees, who were very exact in their rules of keeping the
Sabbath, to pluck the grain was the same as reaping it with a sickle, to
carry it in the hand was the same as bearing a load, and to rub it in
the hands was the same as thrashing; and to do these on the seventh day
of the week was breaking the Sabbath. These were rules, not given by
God, but made by the scribes; and Jesus had already taught his disciples
to pay no attention to them.
The Pharisees were constantly watching Jesus and his followers, to catch
them, if possible, in doing or saying something that might be thought
wrong. They said to Jesus:
"Do you see that your disciples are doing what is forbidden on the
Sabbath day; picking the ears of grain, carrying handfuls of them and
rubbing them in their hands?"
"Have you never read," answered Jesus, "what David did when he was
flying from King Saul; how he went into the house of God and took away
the holy bread, laid on the table as an offering to God, which was to be
eaten by the priests only; ate it himself and gave it to the men that
were with him? And do you not know that the priests in the Temple do all
kinds of work, killing animals for the offering, placing wood on the
altar and many other things; yet they do right, for these things are
necessary, and whatever is needful may be done on God's holy day. The
Sabbath was made for the good of man and not man for the Sabbath. I tell
you that One greater than the Temple is here, for the Son of Man is Lord
of the Sabbath."
[Illustration: Jesus and His Disciples in the field of grain]
On another Sabbath day Jesus went into the church to worship God and to
preach the word. A man was there whose hand was withered and helpless.
The Pharisees watched Jesus to see if he would cure this man on the
Sabbath. They hoped he would cure him, not because they cared for the
poor, crippled man, but because they were eager to find something to
say against Jesus.
Jesus spoke to the man with the withered hand, "Stand up and come
forward." The man stood up before them all; and then Jesus, looking
straight at his enemies, said:
"Is it against the law on the Sabbath day to do good or to do harm; to
save a life, or to try to kill a man, as you are trying to do? If one of
you men owns a single sheep, and he should happen on the Sabbath day to
find it fallen into a pit, would he not take hold of it and lift it out?
And how much more is a man worth than a sheep? Thus it is right to do a
kind and helpful act on the Sabbath."
[Illustration: The man with the withered hand healed by Jesus in the
church]
He looked around sternly at his enemies, being sad and grieved because
their hearts were so hard. They did not have a word to say; and after
waiting a moment he turned to the man with the withered hand and said:
"Stretch out your hand!"
He reached out his arm, and the withered hand was at once made well and
strong, as sound as the other. Jesus went away, but the Pharisees were
filled with anger against him. They talked together, seeking some way to
kill Jesus; and they called upon the friends of King Herod, the ruler of
Galilee, to see if they could not persuade the king to order that Jesus
should be put to death.
But Jesus went on teaching and curing those that were sick, paying no
attention to the plans of his enemies. He told those whom he cured, not
to go out and speak to others about him, but to stay quietly at home;
for the crowds coming to hear him were already great, and he did not
wish them to be any greater. So many people came together from all parts
of the land, and even from places outside the land of Israel, from the
country of Tyre and Sidon on the north and from Edom or Idumea on the
south. They thronged around Jesus, and pressed upon him; so that he
spoke to his disciples to have a little boat at hand, to wait upon him,
and take him out into the lake for quiet and rest.
Jesus on the Mountain