“Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” (Mt 12:2)

Today’s Gospel reading could make a fine episode of Law & Order, and framing it in this way reveals something profound about our quest for righteousness in this world.  The first part of today’s reading is all about the law, specifically God’s fourth law to keep the Sabbath holy.  It says that God’s people are not to work, harvest or teach on the Sabbath day; they are simply to rest. The law is crystal clear and in today’s reading, Jesus’ disciples clearly break the law by harvesting grain to eat on the Sabbath-presumably while teaching and healing.  They could have prepared their food the day before and they could have taken the day off from ministry; but they didn’t. So there is no doubt what the law says, and no doubt that Jesus’ disciples broke it. This is not the end of the story, however, only the end of Act I. Now we move on to Act II, which lifts up the before a higher order.  What is the intent, the spirit of this Sabbath law? What is the intent, the spirit of Jesus and his disciples?  Are there times when following the law to the letter, results in breaking its spirit, the spirit of God?