Gospel of 5 September 2026
Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of St Teresa of Calcutta
Luke 6:1-5
The Son of Man is master of the sabbath
One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath day?’ Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry how he went into the house of God, took the loaves of offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which only the priests are allowed to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’
Reflexion
Today, the Pharisees continue to find fault with the disciples of the Lord but they now lambast Jesus for allowing His followers to violate the Sabbath restrictions and for failing to rebuke them. The Master is to be blamed for the laxity of His disciples. Perhaps, we modern folks would immediately side with the disciples as many would agree that the Pharisees’ petty legalism appear to be over the top in making a mountain out of a molehill.
On the other hand, if we were to compare the actions of the disciples with the angry mobs committing arson and looting in many cities in America, one may be less sympathetic. They look like entitled brats. How dare they trespass on private property and steal the corn from the fields without getting permission from the owners? That would be stealing - looting.
But our Lord is not trying to dismiss the Law of Moses and all laws by taking an anarchistic position, nor is He trying to excuse the disciples for their entitlement. Instead, He is inviting us to look at Him and the title which He assumes: “Master of the Sabbath.”
The Sabbath points to God’s absolute sovereignty and mastery over creation. It is a reminder to the creature that the perfection of creation is attributed to God alone. Now, our Lord declares Himself to be the Master of the Sabbath. Jesus is proclaiming that He is the One who exercises authority even over the rules and regulations that govern the Sabbath day. This is no less than a divine claim. It is practically saying - Jesus, the Son of Man, is also God. That would be stating the obvious.
Thus, the correct lenses by which we should view this text is not that of the Pharisees who saw everything in terms of laws and customs, neither should it be through the lenses of the disciples, who at this instance may be exhibiting a human need for sustenance, but also a sense of entitlement. This text points to the identity of our Lord, the Christ, the Master of the Sabbath, the Divine Word Incarnate.
To the Pharisees of this world, Jesus is proclaiming to the world, that He is greater than the Law and above the laws of the Mosaic Covenant because, as God in flesh, He is the Author of those laws. Our rules and our laws have no hold over Him. This text, however, should never be interpreted as a licence for us to break the law, even moral and religious law, but an invitation for us to obey the law of Christ, since Christ is the Master of the Sabbath.
But to the disciples and to all creatures, our Lord is also proclaiming that He is King and Lord of the Universe, and He alone is worthy and entitled to our obedience. We can make no demands of Him, neither can we get credit for any accomplishment or work or possession that we may have. As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus has the right, power, and authority to dispense His graces and gifts in any way He pleases.
The Lord of the Sabbath had come, and with His death and resurrection, He became the fulfillment of our “Sabbath rest.” The salvation we have in Christ has made the old law of the Sabbath no longer needed or binding. Just as the Sabbath day was originally instituted to give man rest from his labours, so did He come to provide us rest from labouring to achieve our own salvation by our effort.
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