And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27. The Sabbath was made for man. This Fifth argument is related by Mark alone. The general meaning is, that those persons judge amiss who turn to man’s destruction, “Lesquels convertissent au dommage et a la ruine de l’homme;”— “who turn to the injury and to the ruin of man.” the Sabbath which God appointed for his benefit.
Christ had been put to justify himself in conversing with publicans and sinners: here he is put to justify his disciples; and in what they do according to his will he will justify them, and bear them out. I. He justifies them in their not fasting, which was turned to their reproach by the Pharisees. Why do the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast?
Commenting on Mark 2:18-28
Therefore the son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Meaning himself, who had a power not only to dispense with it, but to abrogate it as he did, with the rest of the rituals of the ceremonial law; See Gill on Mat 12:8. So that it did not become them to find fault with what his disciples did, with his leave and approbation. Next: Mark Chapter 3