Open Writing

T' Jeews, tha knaws, wer' allus reight strict abaht t' keepin' t' Sabbath — t' seventh day, Setterda, t' day o' rest. The' thowt it wor wicked ter do onny work. Mooastly fowk just sat thersens dahn an' did nowt — all t' day long.

Nah one Sabbath Jesus wor preychin' at t' synagogue when 'e spotted an owd lass i' t' congregation bent double wi' arthur-itis, or summat o' that sooart. Eighteen year sh'd been like this, poor woman, an' Jesus felt reight sorry fer 'er. So 'e called 'er aht ter t' front, ligged 'is 'ands on 'er, an' said:

'Nah then, luv. Tha's free from thi ailment!'

An' theeare an' then t' owd lass stood up, streight as a yard o' pump-watter — an' started singin' 'er praises ter God.

But t' president — that's t' gaffer o' t' synagogue, tha knaws — worn't a bit sewted wi' this. 'E jumps up an' bawls aht:

'This is t' Sabbath Day! Ther' are six days when tha can do thi work. Let fowk come an' bi 'ealed then — but nut on t' Sabbath!'

'What daft talk!', replies Jesus. 'There's nut one on yer 'at doesn't tak 'is beast or 'oss aht o' t' mistal on t' Sabbath an' lead 'im ter t' watter. That's work, isn't it? An' ter think 'at this woman 'ere — a dowter of Abraham — kept bent double bi Satan fer eighteen year — ter think 'at sh' shouldn't bi loosed from 'er bonds, just 'cos it's Sabbath!'

T' congregation wor full o' praise fer all 'at Jesus 'ad said an' done, but t' Jeewish authorities wer' fewrious.

A bit later, on another Setterda, one o' t' top Pharisees invited Jesus to 'is 'ome fer a meal — an' the' wer' all watchin' 'im ter see if 'e did owt ter brek t' Sabbath.

Sittin' reight i' front o' Jesus wor a man all swollen wi' t' dropsy — 'is legs an' ankles all blown up like blethers, poor feller. The'd 'a' browt 'im theeare on purpose, tha sees — just ter try an' catch Jesus aht. So Jesus looked rahnd on these fussy Scribes an' Pharisees, an' 'e says:

'Well, nah. What does-ta think? Is it reight ter heal on t' Sabbath Day? Or is it wrong? Come on, speyk up!'

But nob'dy said nowt — so Jesus went ower ter this man wi' t' dropsy, said a few words to 'im, touched 'is body an' some-'ah seeamed ter fettle this awful disease. 'E 'elped 'im to 'is feet an' then let 'im walk aht, lookin' as reight as a triwit.

'Let mi ax another question', says Jesus. 'If one on yer belongs a donkey or a beeast, an' it falls dahn a well on t' Sabbath Day, would yer leave it liggin' theeare just 'cos it wor t' Sabbath?'

An' once ageean nob'dy said nowt.

Another Sabbath, Jesus an't' disciples wer' walkin' through t' fields near t' Sea o' Galilee. Some o' t' disciples, feelin' a bit pined, thowt the' might as well chow a bit o' wheat — 'cos it wor growin' all rahnd 'em. So, as the' walked on the' plucked a two-a-thri ears o' wheat apiece an' rubbed 'em i' the'r 'ands till the'd got a nice bit o' grain the' could eyt.

It so 'appened 'at some Pharisees spotted 'em doin' this — an' would yer credit it? — the' called aht ter Jesus:

'Does-ta knaw 'at them disciples o' thine are brekkin' t' law? Yer can't do that on t' Sabbath!'

Nah, if the'd said the' wer' pinchin' t' farmer's corn, t' disciples could 'ave understood it — but what these fussy Pharisees meant wor 'at the' wer' brekkin t' Sabbath by workin' — reapin' an' grindin' corn!

Well, Jesus gev 'em summat ter think abaht, Ah'll tell yer!

Quotin' from t' Scriptures 'e says tul 'em: "Aven't you Pharisees read abaht David, an' what 'e did when 'e an' 'is men wer' 'ungry? David went inter t' Temple i' Jerewsalem an' 'e sammed up all t' bread 'at 'ad been put on t' altar as a sacrifice ter God. David ett o' this bread — an' shared it aht among 'is men. Yet it's agen t' law fer onnybody to eyt t' Temple bread — bar t' preeasts. If you Pharisees understood t' Scripture — "God wants human kindness, nut sacrifice" — then yer'd nut bi allus mawkin' an' threeapin' an' tellin' fowk off. An' remember this: t' Sabbath is fer t' benefit o' mankind, nut mankind fer t' benefit o' t' Sabbath. What's mooare, t' Son o' Man, t' Messiah, is Lord even ower t' Sabbath.'

An' these 'ere Pharisees — same as t'others — 'ad nowt ter say fer thersens, nawther, but just let t' disciples be.

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