Mark 2:23-28

Hebrews 6:10-20

Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9, 10c

Mark 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,

his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.

At this the Pharisees said to him,

“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”

He said to them,

“Have you never read what David did

when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?

How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest

and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,

and shared it with his companions?”

Then he said to them,

“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.

That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your Son, the Lord of the Sabbath, to reconcile us with you. Help me, each Sunday, to praise you for your great work of creation and look forward to eternal rest with you in heaven.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Old Sabbath and the New: In the fourth conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities, the Pharisees seem to be on the watch. They want to accuse Jesus and his disciples of violating the Law of Moses in some way. When they see Jesus’ disciples picking heads of gain on the Sabbath and Jesus does not correct his disciples, the Pharisees think that this proves that Jesus is a false prophet. What they are ignorant of, is the original meaning and purpose of the Sabbath rest. On the one hand, it recalled the creation of the world (Exodus 20:8-11), how God rested from his work on the seventh day, and how humanity was invited to commemorate God’s work of creation weekly and share in divine rest and eternal life. On the other, the Sabbath recalled the redemption of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). The Sabbath rest, then, was a sign that pointed to the reason why God created the world: so that human beings can share in his eternal life. It was a sign that pointed to our passage from the slavery of sin to the freedom of the children of God. The Sabbath was made for us to be able to set aside time to worship God, thank him, and enter into communion with him. Human beings were not made for the Sabbath, in the sense that obeying the Sabbath rest should not be a cause of unnecessary suffering. In other Gospel passages, Jesus will speak about how one could save an animal in distress on the Sabbath. Here, he alludes to the work of the Levites and priests in the Temple who prepared the bread of the presence on the Sabbath without violating the Sabbath rest. 

2. The Old Priesthood and the New: Jesus also alludes to the nearing end of the old priesthood by invoking the name of Abiathar. Abiathar was the last of his line to be high priest. After Abiathar, the high priesthood passed to Zadok. Jesus, then, compares himself to David, and compares his disciples to David’s companions. David and his companions ate the bread of the presence that only the priests could eat, and something greater than David is here. Jesus is the eternal high priest. His apostles, on the night of the Last Supper, will be consecrated as priests of the New Covenant. At the Last Supper, Jesus will institute the New Passover that his Apostles and their successors and coworkers will celebrate on Sunday, the day of the New Sabbath. It will be a day to commemorate the Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection, to celebrate our recreation in Christ, and to look forward to the consummation of history when our Lord will return in glory.

3. Eagerness and Hope: The Letter to the Hebrews contains an exhortation that invites us to demonstrate eagerness and to be hopeful that we will inherit what God through Jesus has promised us. The author recalls the example of Abraham, who patiently waited for God to fulfill his promise and oath to bless him and grant him numerous descendants. Two immutable oaths in the Old Testament stand out: the oath sworn to Abraham in Genesis 22 and the oath sworn to David in Psalm 110. Jesus fulfilled both oaths. Through his sacrifice on the Cross, Jesus unleashed the blessing of the Holy Spirit, promised to Abraham, upon all nations. Jesus also fulfilled the promise and oath sworn to David. As David’s royal descendant, he established an everlasting Kingdom and, through his suffering on the Cross, became our eternal high priest. Seeing that God is faithful to his promises should fill us with hope that we will obtain the eternal life promised to us by God through his Son and in his Spirit. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, grant me secure hope in your great promises. Help me to trust in you and that you will give me what I need to grow in holiness and attain eternal life.

Living the Word of God: How do I prepare for the Lord’s Day? Do I try to make it a day of family, worship, prayer, and rest? Are there things – like cleaning or other chores – that I can do on the other days of the week to celebrate the day better? Can I set aside time for prayer and meditation before Mass on Sunday?