There is no evidence that Jesus studied as the Rabbis did. At least his own contemporaries took it for granted that he was not a professional rabbi: he was a carpenter's son. In Mark 6:2, the people ask "What is this wisdom that has been granted him?" Their expression implies that his wisdom was a gift from God, not something he had learned in merely human circumstances.

Even though he was not a professional rabbi, Jesus did ask questions about things in life that were not specifically dealt with in the law. Wisely, he often did not ask direct questions about the law but asked in an oblique way that demanded thought and reflection Thus, in today's story he did not ask directly "May I cure this man on the Sabbath?" For the law does not deal with concrete examples. He asked about a general principle: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" Then from the general principle he moved on to concrete examples. Sometimes, wisdom and learning clash. Wisdom as a gift of the Spirit rather than knowledge may deepen our faith.