“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:”
Then he said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath — the principle Jesus articulates reorients the entire frame of the Sabbath controversy. The Sabbath was given by God as a gift to human beings for rest, restoration, and the regular acknowledgment of God's creative sovereignty. It was not given as a cage or a burden. Man was not created to serve the Sabbath's requirements; the Sabbath was created to serve the human being's need. This does not eliminate the Sabbath or make it optional; it clarifies its purpose. Every Sabbath regulation must be interpreted in light of what the Sabbath is for — and the Sabbath is for human flourishing, not human restriction.