Mark 2:28
Have
you ever walked into a room and wondered who was in charge? I notice this
especially when I have been called for a meeting. As the chatter continues, I
just want someone to step up, take charge, get the meeting going and keep it on
track. I want someone to be the leader. Without leaders we often wander about
aimlessly, getting nowhere.
Every
group will have a leader, either one appointed, or one will arise from the
group. People don’t do things without having someone leading. Even when doing
things by consensus, someone must take the vote. Even the Occupy political movement
had leaders, even if they were behind the scenes pulling the strings, directing
the structure and funding some of the participants. What is funny and
disheartening is that the behind the scenes political powers have not adopted
the very stances their movement stood against for political purposes. They now
favor corporations over the individual. They are using power at their whim.
Sad.
Our
text tells us something profound about Jesus. It says that He is in charge of
the Sabbath. It is not making a statement about every human being. The Son of
Man is the title, as we have seen before, that Jesus uses for Himself. Mark
records this title as a way for Jesus to self-identify. Mark is making the
point that Jesus is claiming authority by His statement.
But
what is the authority He is claiming? Who is in charge of the Sabbath? Well, I
would have to say the LORD! He is the One who set it up and named it. He said
work six days and rest the seventh. He is the One who set up the pattern in
Scripture in His revealed account of the Creation of the World. Create for six,
rest on the seventh.
So
Jesus is at least claiming that He has authority over the strict rules of the
Sabbath, that He is at least as important as David. David is the precedent that
Jesus quotes. If David can do it, and he was simply a future earthly king, how
much more do I, the eternal King of the Universe, have authority over an earthly
ritual.
Mark
is making the point to point out the various realms of Jesus’ authority. He has
demonstrated with the teaching and miracle pattern that Jesus has authority in
many realms. The earthly ritual realm is only one of those areas. The next
section will show His authority over the Sabbath demonstrated with another
miracle.
Do
you recognize Jesus’ authority over your calendar?