Mark 2:23-28

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 Depth of Biblical Truth: Today’s Gospel is famous because it seems to have an error. The line in question reads: “[David] went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest.” In fact, however, Ahimelech, not Abiathar, was the high priest when this happened. Some point to this and argue that the Bible contains errors and, therefore, is not reliable. But there is a simple solution. The books of the Bible, in Jesus’ day, were not divided into numbered chapters and verses. And so, when you referred to a story or line from the Old Testament, you could point to a prominent figure in the section. Abiathar, who was deposed as the high priest when he supported Adonijah instead of Solomon, was more prominent than Ahimelech. And so, instead of translating the Greek preposition “epi” as “when,” it should be translated as “in the time of,” “concerning,” or “in the section of.” Likely, however, there is something even deeper. By alluding to Abiathar instead of Ahimelech in his conflict with the religious authorities, Jesus is alluding to the end of the old priesthood and the beginning of the new. Abiathar was the last of his line to be high priest. After Abiathar, the high priesthood passed to Zadok, who was high priest during the reign of Solomon, the son of David. This is why Jesus compares himself and his disciples to David and David’s companions and points out how they did something that belonged exclusively to priests. Jesus is the eternal high priest. He will consecrate his Apostles on the night of the Last Supper as the priests of the New Covenant. At the Last Supper, Jesus will institute the New Passover that his Apostles, their successors, and their coworkers will celebrate on Sunday, the day of the New Sabbath. It will be a day that commemorates the Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The New Sabbath is a day that looks forward to the Ultimate Sabbath, the consummation of history, when our Lord will return in glory. So, rather than superficially abandoning our belief in the truth of the Bible because we think we found an error, the proper attitude is humility, knowing that through prayer, meditation, contemplation, and further study, God’s Word will continue to astound us with its truth and depth.

2. Spying like Doeg: In the fourth conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities, the Pharisees seem to be on the watch. They are spying on Jesus and acting like the spy Doeg the Edomite, who betrayed the high priest Ahimelech to King Saul (1 Samuel 22:6-10). In response to the report of Doeg, Saul summoned Ahimelech and all the priests of Nob and slaughtered them. The Pharisees and religious authorities will do the same and surrender Jesus to Pilate to be crucified. The Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus and his disciples of violating the Law of Moses in some way. When they saw Jesus’ disciples picking heads of grain on the Sabbath, the Pharisees thought that this proved that Jesus was a false prophet. 

3. The Sign of the Sabbath Rest: What the Pharisees were ignorant of, was not just how the Levitical priesthood would give way to the New Melchizedekian priesthood of Jesus, but they were ignorant of the original meaning and purpose of the Sabbath rest. On the one hand, this rest 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 begin to share in divine rest and eternal life. On the other hand, the Sabbath rest recalled the redemption of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). It 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 slavery to the Old Law and the Sabbath rest but for the freedom of the New Law. Jesus will argue elsewhere how one could defend life, save an animal in distress, or work in the Temple on the Sabbath without violating the Sabbath rest. The Sabbath and its mandatory rest are not ends in themselves but signs that point to something greater. They point to the very purpose of creation, to our calling to share in eternal life.

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?