Bread for the Journey

A decorative metal altar with a sheep figure holding a flag on top, set against a colorful stained glass backdrop. — Tabernacle containing Bread for the Journey. Eat… and live!

Greetings on this the Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Colossians 1:21-23; Psalm 54:3-4, 6 and 8; Luke 6:1-5

Summary

In today’s gospel portion we think we are confronted with two orthodox religious rules. 1. Strict adherence to law (eating the Holy Bread) and 2. not allowing gleaning on the Sabbath. Both ideas are faulty. Gleaning is not harvesting. The Holy Bread is for the people to receive from the Lord.

Some said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”(LK 6:2,5).

O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life. 
PS 54:3-4,6

Reflection

When challenged as to the practice of gleaning on the Sabbath Jesus could have simply said gleaning is not harvesting. He chose instead to note of two things:

They are not even understanding the sacred scriptures as they are written. Jesus helps them understand more deeply 1 Sm 21:1–6 (The Holy Bread), and Lv 24:5–9 (The Showbread) – two names for the same bread. These regulations are not to exclude the extreme needs of people or, as in this case, the people serving and journeying with the Lord.

Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those [who were] with him were hungry? [How] he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions.” (LK 6:3-4).

The Sabbath is resting in the Lord. Jesus is the Lord of that rest. If he allows holy bread for the journey, then there is no temple regulation that is higher authority.

“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”(LK 6:5).