The question of the Sabbath and its obligations became a matter of dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees on several occasions. In today's Gospel passage, Jesus responds to the suspicion and antagonism of the Pharisees with a question which manifests both his wisdom and his ability to look beyond problems towards a truly compassionate solution.

Jesus literally asks about what is permitted on the Sabbath, but his intention is to point to a discernment of what is better. We can re-phrase his words thus: Which is better, to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil? The answer is obvious: it is better to do good.

However, for people like the Pharisees, his answer raises further questions. To engage in the good work of healing apparently violates the injunction to abstain from work on the Sabbath. For Jesus, the insinuation of his question is that failing to do something good is equivalent to doing something bad, and doing something bad, something not good, would not be in the spirit of the Sabbath. Our catechism, like our prayer of confession at the beginning of Mass, reminds us that we can sin by omission, by failing to do the good when opportunity presents itself.