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and Lord of the sabbath, is free from fault, for pulling ears of corn on the sabbath-day.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: He calls himself properly, Lord of the sabbath, and Son
of man, since being the Son of God, He deigned to be called Son of man, for the sake of men.
Now the law has no authority over the Lawgiver and Lord, for more is allowed the king, than is
appointed by the law. The law is given to the weak indeed, but not to the perfect and to those
who work above what the law enjoins.
Bede: But in a mystical sense the disciples pass through the corn fields, when the holy doctors
look with the care of a pious solicitude upon those whom they have initiated in the faith, and who,
it is implied, are hungering for the best of all things, the salvation of men.
But to pluck the ears of corn means to snatch men away from the eager desire of earthly things.
And to rub with the hands is by example of virtue to put from the purity of their minds the
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concupiscence of the flesh, as men do husks. To eat the grains is when a man, cleansed from
the filth of vice by the mouths of preachers, is incorporated amongst the members of the Church.
Again, fitly are the disciples related to have done this, walking before the face of the Lord, for it is
necessary that the discourse of the doctor should come first, although the grace of visitation from
on high, following it, must enlighten the heart of the hearer. As well, on the sabbath-day, for the
doctors themselves in [p. 53] preaching labour for the hope of future rest, and teach their hearers
to toil over their tasks for the sake of eternal repose.
Theophylact: Or else, because when they have rest from their passions, then are they made
doctors to lead others to virtue, plucking away from them earthly things.
Bede: Again, they walk through the corn fields with the Lord, who rejoice in meditating upon His
sacred words. They hunger, when they desire to find in them the bread of life; and they hunger
on sabbath days, as soon as their minds are in a soothing rest, and they rejoice in freedom from
troubled thoughts; they pluck the ears of corn, and by rubbing, cleanse them, till they come to
what is fit to eat, when by meditation they take to themselves the witness of the Scriptures, to
which they arrive by reading, and discuss them continually, until they find in them the marrow of
love; this refreshment of the mind is truly unpleasing to fools, but is approved by the Lord.
Gospel of Mark, Chapter 3
[p. 54]
1. And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered
hand.
2. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse
Him.
3. And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, "Stand forth."
4. And He saith unto them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life,
or to kill?" But they held their peace.
5. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of
their hearts, He saith unto the man, "Stretch forth thine hand." And he stretched it out: and his
hand was restored whole as the other.
Theophylact: After confounding the Jews, who had blamed His disciples, for pulling the ears of
corn on the sabbath day, by the example of David, the Lord now further bringing them to the
truth, works a miracle on the sabbath; shewing that, if it is a pious deed to work miracles on the
sabbath for the health of men, it is not wrong to do on the sabbath thing necessary for the body.
He says therefore, "And He entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which
had a withered hand. And they watched Him, whether He would heal him on the sabbath-day;
that they might accuse Him."
Bede, in Marc., 1, 14: For, since He had defended the breaking of the sabbath, which they
objected to His disciples, by an approved example, now they wish, by watching Him, to [p. 55]
calumniate Himself, that they might accuse Him of a transgression, if He cured on the sabbath, of
cruelty or of folly, if He refused.
It goes on: "And He saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand in the midst."
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc., see Chrys, Hom. in Matt., 40: He placed him in the
midst, that they might be frightened at the sight, and on seeing Him compassionate him, and lay
aside their malice.
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Bede: And anticipating the calumny of the Jews, which they had prepared for Him, He accused
them of violating the precepts of the law, by a wrong interpretation.
Wherefore there follows: "And He saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-day, or
to do evil?"
And this He asks, because they thought that on the sabbath they were to rest even from good
works, whilst the law commands to abstain from bad, saying, "Ye shall do no servile work
therein;" [Lev 23:7] that is, sin: for "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." [John 8:34]
What He first says, "to do good on the sabbath-day or to do evil," is the same as what He
afterwards adds, "to save a life or to lose it;" that is, to cure a man or not. Not that God, Who is in
the highest degree good, can be the author of perdition to us, but that His not saving is in the
language of Scripture to destroy.
but if it be asked, wherefore the Lord, being about to cure the body, asked about the saving of the
soul, let him understand either that in the common way of Scripture the soul is put for the man; as
it is said, "All the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob;" [Ex 1:5] or because He did those
miracles for the saving of a soul, or because the healing itself of the hand signified the saving of
the soul.
Augustine, de Con. Evan., ii, 35: But some one may wonder how Matthew could have said, that
they themselves asked the Lord, if it was lawful to heal on the sabbath-day; when Mark rather
relates that they were asked by our Lord, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath-day, or to do
evil?"
Therefore we must understand that they first asked the Lord, if it was lawful to heal on the
sabbath-day, then that understanding their thoughts, and that they were seeking an opportunity
to accuse Him, He placed in the middle him whom He was about to cure, and put those
questions, which Mark and Luke relate. We must then suppose, that when they were silent, He
propounded the parable of the sheep, and concluded, that it was lawful to do good on the
sabbath-day.
It goes on: "But they were silent." [p. 56]
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: For they knew that He would certainly cure him.
It goes on: "And looking round about upon them with anger."
His looking round upon them in anger, and being saddened at the blindness of their hearts, is
fitting for His humanity, which He deigned to take upon Himself for us. He connects the working
of the miracle with a word, which proves that the man is cured by His voice alone.
It follow therefore, "And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored." Answering by all these
things for His disciples, and at the same time shewing that His life is above the law.
Bede: But mystically, the man with a withered hand shews the human race, dried up as to its
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