ISB ~ Mark 3 v4

Is it lawful … ?:Jesus implies that doing good for the sake of mercy or necessity does not constitute a violation of the Sabbath. One should abstain from servile works, not good works. or to kill?: An alarming alternative to saving life. Common sympathy might allow for the preservation of life on the Sabbath, but not its destruction.

• Jesus may allude to the precedent of 1 Macc 2:41, where the Jews temporarily suspended Sabbath observance to permit defensive warfare. This was necessary in order to save life from military attacks on their sacred day of rest. If Israel could sidestep the Sabbath to preserve life, then surely Jesus can heal a man’s hand on the same day. See note on Lk 6:9.