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Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Alfred Edersheim

Book III, CHAPTER XXXV. THE TWO SABBATH-CONTROVERSIES - THE PLUCKING OF THE EARS OF CORN

ref. point 2.59, pg. 514, first and second paragraph

To this St. Mark adds as corollary: The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. It is

remarkable, that a similar argument is used by the Rabbis. When insisting that the Sabbath Law should

be set aside to avoid danger to life, it is urged: the Sabbath is handed over to you; not, ye are handed

over to the Sabbath.2136 Lastly, the three Evangelists record this as the final outcome of His teaching

on this subject, that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath also. The Service of God, and the Service of

the Temple, by universal consent superseded the Sabbath-Law. But Christ was greater than the Temple,and His Service more truly that of God, and higher than that of the outward Temple, and the Sabbath

was intended for man, to serve God: therefore Christ and His Service were superior to the Sabbath-Law.

Thus much would be intelligible to these Pharisees, although they would not receive it, because they

believed not on Him as the Sent of God.

But to us the words mean more than this. They preach not only that the Service of Christ is that of God,

but that, even more than in the Temple, all of work or of liberty is lawful which this service requires. We

are free while we are doing anything for Christ; God loves mercy, and demands not sacrifice; His

sacrifice is the service of Christ, in heart, and life, and work. We are not free to do anything we please;

but we are free to do anything needful or helpful, while we are doing any service to Christ. He is the

Lord of the Sabbath, Whom we serve in and through the Sabbath. And even this is significant, that,

when designating Himself Lord of the Sabbath, it is as the Son of Man. It shows, that the narrow

Judaistic form regarding the day and the manner of observance is enlarged into the wider Law, which

applies to all humanity. Under the New Testament the Sabbath has, as the Church, become Catholic, and

its Lord is Christ as the Son of Man, to Whom the body Catholic offers the acceptable service of heart

and life.