In this text we witness two controversy stories centred on the Sabbath, but what we discover is that, at its heart, this text is less about the Sabbath and more about the heart of God for people. Jesus’ responses reveal his authority and his desire for the well-being of people created in the image of God. Sabbath, rightly understood, is an important part of human well-being, but there is a danger of falling into mere rule-keeping and missing the real point.
