Gospel of Mark - Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-28 and 3:1-6 Teaching Pastor Seth Williams describes two incidents where Jesus's actions challenge the Pharisees' strict interpretation of the Sabbath law. In the first incident (Mark 2:23-28), Jesus's disciples pick and eat grain while passing through a field, which the Pharisees deem unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus defends their actions, citing the example of King David eating the shewbread when hungry. He concludes that the Sabbath was made for humanity, not the other way around, and that he, as the Son of Man, is Lord even of the Sabbath. In the second incident (Mark 3:1-6), Jesus heals a man with a withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath, which the Pharisees observe and plot to kill him for. Both instances highlight Jesus's authority over the Sabbath and his compassion for people's needs, even if it challenges the legalistic interpretations of the Pharisees.