Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 2:27-2:28)

“Then he said to them.

‘The Sabbath

Was made for humans,

Not humans for the Sabbath.

Thus,

The Son of Man

Is Lord

Even of the Sabbath.’”

 

καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς Τὸ σάββατον διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐγένετο, καὶ οὐχ ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὸ σάββατον·

ὥστε κύριός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τοῦ σαββάτου.

 

There is something similar in Matthew, chapter 12:8, and Luke, chapter 6:5, probably indicating that Mark was the source of this comment.  Mark had Jesus say to those around him (καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς) that the Sabbath was made for man, humans, or mankind (Τὸ σάββατον διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐγένετο,), not humans for the Sabbath (καὶ οὐχ ὁ ἄνθρωπος διὰ τὸ σάββατον).  Then he added the comment that the Son of Man was the Lord of the Sabbath (ὥστε κύριός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ τοῦ σαββάτου) that was picked up by the other two synoptic gospels.  Jesus then could control the Sabbath, not the other way around.  Instead, the Sabbath was a gift to humans.  Jesus, the Son of Man, would reinterpret the laws of the Sabbath as the Lord of the Sabbath.