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how do jesus' teachings and actions regarding the sabbath in the gospels develop or reframe this original commandment?

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The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Mark 2:27-28

“He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."”

Jesus is speaking to Pharisees who have criticized his disciples for plucking heads of grain on the Sabbath, an act they considered unlawful work. This passage captures Jesus' central reframe of the Sabbath's purpose.

What does it mean for a practice or rule to exist for human well-being, rather than humans existing for the practice or rule?

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Read alongside it

  • Exodus 20:8-11

    This is the original commandment for the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments.

  • Isaiah 58:13-14

    This prophetic passage speaks about finding delight in the Sabbath and its potential for blessing.

  • Matthew 12:1-14

    This parallel account includes another Sabbath controversy where Jesus heals a man with a withered hand.

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