of David and his followers who, forced by hunger, broke the
Mosaic Law in entering the tabernacle and eating the "showbread." Jesus
argued that, when necessary to relieve their hunger, his followers were
also justified in disregarding the law of rest.

An illustration of the second exception to the law of absolute cessation
from labor was given "on another sabbath" when in the synagogue Jesus
healed a man whose right hand was "withered." The Pharisees regarded this
action of Jesus as another breach of the law of rest. Jesus defended his
action on the ground that it was dictated by mercy and that work which
secured relief from suffering was allowable on the Sabbath Day. He replied
to his enemies by a searching question, assuming the principle that
refraining from help is the same as inflicting harm. He, asked them
whether they regarded the Sabbath Day as of such character as to make it
right on that day to do that which on other days was wrong: "I ask you, Is
it lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to
destroy it?"

While Jesus taught that the law of rest might thus be broken to meet the
necessities of man and to show mercy to those in need or in distress, he
by no means abrogated the Sabbath. He declared, however, that "the Son of
man is lord of the sabbath," by which he meant that as the representative
of men he had a right to interpret the Law for the highest good of man. He
was justified in relieving the Sabbath from the narrow and burdensome
observances which had been bound upon it by the Pharisees and to restore
it to mankind as a glad day of rest and of refreshment and of fellowship
with God.

C. The Third Period. Chs. 6:12 to 8:56

1. The Choice of the Twelve. Ch. 6:12-19

12 And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the
mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God. 13
And when it was day, he called his disciples; and he chose from
them twelve, whom also he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he also
named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and
Philip and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew and Thomas, and James _the
son_ of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas
_the son_ of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor; 17
and he came down with them, and stood on a level place, and a
great multitude of his disciples, and a great number of the people
from all Judaea