Lord of the Sabbath!

Saturday, September 6, 2025

Col 1:21-23; Lk 6:1-5

In today’s Gospel, we find Jesus reclaiming the true meaning of the Sabbath by affirming that he is the Lord of it. 

As we can read, the Pharisees find fault with Jesus’ disciples for eating heads of grain, claiming that it is unlawful to do so on the Sabbath day. 

In accusing Jesus’ disciples, they try to show themselves righteous and pious. However, what they forget is, if the Day of the Lord is meant to be celebrated in holiness, they indulge in following Jesus and his disciples only to accuse and find fault with them. 

When their devious act completes their wrong intention, Jesus reminds them that they cannot use the Lord’s Day for self-serving purposes. 

The Pharisaic attitude, Jesus’ interaction, and his assertions help us understand the real meaning of the Sabbath day. 

1. For the Pharisees, the Sabbath day was meant for moral policing. They were not truly concerned about holiness but control. Thus, they sinned from their self-righteous pride. 

2. Jesus holds that the Sabbath day is meant to celebrate the Lord, the Creator, and not to adore human traditions. He reminds the Pharisees that God intended the Sabbath to be a gift and blessing for humans. 

3. Jesus reclaims the true meaning of the Sabbath day by defending his disciples’ ‘unlawful’ action, showing that the Sabbath is a time of mercy and not judgement. 

Let us pray for grace to celebrate the Days of the Lord in a holy and blameless manner. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar