Lord of the Sabbath (Lk 6:5-6:5)

“Then Jesus said to them.

‘The Son of Man is

Lord of the Sabbath.’”

 

καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς Κύριός ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus then said to them (καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς) that the Son of Man (ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) is Lord of the Sabbath (Κύριός ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου).  There is something similar in Matthew, chapter 12:8, and Mark, chapter 2:28, probably indicating that Mark was the source of this comment.  However, the other 2 gospels had more elaboration.  Mark had Jesus say to those around him that the Sabbath was made for man, humans, or mankind, not humans for the Sabbath.  Then he added the comment that is here in Luke that the Son of Man was the Lord of the Sabbath, which was picked up by the other two synoptic gospels.  Matthew had Jesus begin with a solemn proclamation that someone greater than the Temple was here, a clear reference to Jesus himself.  They did not know what the saying about mercy was all about.  Matthew then used the same citation of Hosea chapter 6:6, that he had earlier in chapter 9:13.  Jesus explained that he desired mercy, just as Yahweh wanted real faithful love, not mere sacrifices.  Hosea wanted the Israelites to have real knowledge of God, rather than worry about burnt offerings.  Thus, the Pharisees should not have condemned the innocent or guiltless ones, since Jesus and his disciples had done nothing wrong.  He then concluded with the saying that the Son of Man was the Lord of the Sabbath.  Jesus then could control the Sabbath, not the other way around.  Instead of the Sabbath as a gift to humans, Jesus would reinterpret the laws of the Sabbath as the Lord of the Sabbath.

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.

Tower of Babel and Abraham (Wis 10:5-10:5)

“Wisdom also,

When the nations in wicked agreement

Had been put to confusion,

Recognized the righteous man.

She preserved him

Blameless before God.

She kept him strong

In the face of his compassion

For his child.”

Here there seems to be a link with the Tower of Babel and Abraham. Once again in this abridgment of Genesis, there is a leap from chapter 11 about the Tower of Babel and Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac in chapter 22. Obviously, we then have this abbreviated history of mankind that jumps from Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, to Noah and the flood, without explicitly mentioning their names. Now the jump is from the Tower of Babel to Abraham. Here it is wisdom and not God who caused the confusion as the men were building the high tower. She also recognized and preserved Abraham as the strong righteous man who was blameless before God (ἄμεμπτον Θεῷ). Just as the idea of God dominates over wisdom, she, wisdom, is the one who had compassion for the child (τέκνου) of Abraham, Isaac.

The father of the world (Wis 10:1-10:2)

“Wisdom protected

The first-formed father of the world.

He alone had been created.

She delivered him

From his transgression.

She gave him strength

To rule all things.”

Now this author traces the role of God and wisdom in the history of mankind. Interesting enough, this section starts with wisdom, she and not God. She protected the one (μόνον) first father of the world (πρωτόπλαστον πατέρα κόσμου), who is not explicitly given a name. However, this is clearly based on the first chapter of Genesis. She delivered this first formed man from his transgression. It seems that he was already forgiven. In fact, wisdom gave him dominion over all things.