The Letter of the Law
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
2 June 2024
The Rev. Robert J. Kossler
Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. (Mk. 3:4, NRSVue)
Good morning, my friends, and welcome to our service. As we bid farewell to spring, the school year, and perhaps the NBA season, I wonder why the NBA doesn't play basketball all year round!
I'm unsure why today's Gospel reminded me of family traditions. We have many in our house, especially around Christmas time. We start by getting our tree, stringing lights, and then sitting down with Mexican food while we watch The Grinch that Stole Christmas. If we have time, we also watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We also always watch Christmas Story.
For those who might not be familiar, the movie is about a young boy who yearns for a special Christmas gift, a "Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time". One memorable scene is set in a winter playground. A group of kids stand around a frozen flagpole. Schwartz, one of the boys, tells Flick, a naive child, that if he touches the pole, his tongue will stick. (Shepherd, n.d.) Flick, of course, disagrees, and Schwartz issues a series of dares ending with the dreaded "Triple dog dare"! Flick reluctantly touches his tongue to the pole. It sticks, and Flick panics, screaming, "Stuck, Stuck, Stuck!"
At this point, the playground bell rings, signaling the end of recess and time to return to class. The kids disperse, leaving Flick and his tongue affixed to the pole. He pleaded with his friends to stay with him, "Come back, don't leave me!". Ralphie, the main character, replied that the bell rang, and he and the others abandoned Flick to his predicament.
We learn at an early age to follow the rules. When the bell rings, we return to class. We raise our hands when we have a question or an answer. Homework is due when the teacher says it is due, not when we want to turn it in for a grade. These early learnings follow us into adulthood. Other countries commonly refer to us as a nation of laws. We have so many rules, some governing how we live together, others how we support our city, state, or country. We have financial and property laws, environmental and other types of regulations, and on and on. We have rules dictating how we drive, bike, or even walk. Our churches also have rules, with some traditions having more rules than others. We surround ourselves with regulations that we must live by.
Today's Gospel also discusses rules, specifically laws governing the Sabbath. Jesus and his disciples are walking through a field on a Sabbath day. They pluck grain and eat it as they walk. It seems trivial, but the Pharisees, who must have been walking with them, took issue with picking and eating.
It is important to remember who these men were. They belonged to a Jewish sect that strictly obeyed Mosaic law. This pious group became active around 150 BCE, later becoming part of the Rabbinic movement around CE 135. Current biblical scholarship is mixed regarding how large or important this group was during Jesus' time. We know they strictly observed regulations governing ritual purity, tithes, food laws, and Sabbath and festival observance. (Saldarini, 1992) The regulations added up to 613 laws that dictated their daily lives.
Mark briefly describes the Pharisees and their beliefs in Chapter 2.
• Mark 2:16—Some of the Pharisees scribes ask the disciples why Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners, insinuating that Pharisees would not do so.
• Mark 2:18—People come to Jesus and ask Him why the disciples of John the Baptizer and those of the Pharisees fast, while His disciples do not.
And today's Gospel,
• Mark 2:23–24—The Pharisees ask Jesus why His disciples break the Pharisaic rules of Sabbath-keeping by plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath. (Johnson, 2016)
The question about plucking grain gives us one sense, but the scene that follows in the synagogue is far more compelling. As is typical of Mark's Gospel, he briefly sets the stage. Jesus enters, and there is a man with a "withered hand" in the synagogue. All eyes are on Jesus. What will he do? Mark paints a picture of heartless men looking on, waiting, and plotting. Jesus knows that a trap awaits. Does he heal on the Sabbath, or should he ignore the man's plight? Will he have a "but the bell rang" moment, or will his compassion and empathy win out?
Jesus asks, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?" The Pharisees' silence is deafening. Mark tells us that Jesus is angry at their inability to have compassion for someone suffering. How can humans lack empathy when a fellow human needs help? We see this same behavior in the parable of the Good Samaritan, where two pass by, ignoring the man's plight. Flouting the danger, Jesus heals the man.
It is clear that in Jesus' view, human need is an absolute moral impera8ve. Where good needs to be done, we cannot remain neutral, and failure to do the right thing denies everyone being made in the image of God. For Jesus, it is not only permissible to heal on the Sabbath, but it is also required to heal on the Sabbath. The law is irrelevant when it comes to someone suffering. The litmus test we must apply is our response to injus8ce. We must take great care not to allow religious or secular laws to separate us from helping a human in need. The Pharisees are willing to tolerate the deplorable condi8on of a fellow human being to find leverage against Jesus to silence him.
Mark shows us that Jesus does not use influen8al or weak people for ulterior purposes to gain power over others. God demands that we respond to specific human needs at hand. The test of our religious and moral beliefs is passed or failed by how we respond to the most marginalized members of society. For Jesus, God's laws demand that he addresses the suffering of this unfortunate man. (Edwards, pp. A QUESTION OF LIFE AND DEATH (3:1–6) )
At some point in our lives, we will all face a moment when we must decide whether to act or remain silent. Will we succumb to the human condition in front of us, or will we walk away? Will we allow others whose agendas may be self-serving to speak and act for us, or will we demand they do what is just, what is right? These are hard questions, and there are no simple answers. Ultimately, we are all left with our character and the acts that reflect that character. Compassion and empathy are never cheap, but they are what define us as Christians.
Amen.
Works Cited
Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Johnson, B. T. (2016). Pharisees. In E. J. al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary.
Saldarini, A. J. (1992). Pharisees. In E. D. Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary.
Shepherd, J. (n.d.). A Christmas Story: Flagpole Scene. (C. Young, Producer) Retrieved from Dr. Chase Young:
http://www.thebestclass.org/uploads/5/6/2/4/56249715/a_christmas_story.pdf