Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great
September 3, 2022
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Luke 6:1-5
The Pharisees become increasingly concerned about Jesus. They’re attentive to what he and his disciples are up to, especially concerning the way in which Jesus and his disciples observe the particulars of Jewish ritual law.
When Jesus’ disciples seem to be disregarding the requirements of Sabbath observance by picking and eating grain from the fields on the Sabbath–in effect harvesting–the Pharisees protest. Jesus reminds them that there is a precedent from King David’s time for violating the technicalities of Sabbath observance when human need was at issue.
In any case Jesus says, what his followers are doing is acceptable because he approves of it and he–the Son of man–is Lord of the Sabbath. One wonders what the Pharisees thought of that.
