Awkward Greek- 2:23-28

2: 23

Some clumsy Greek here on Mark's part apparently
“The expression hodon poiein tillontes is strange, since it is the plucking, not the travelling, which is usually thought to be the dominant idea. To read the participle as a subordinate would suggest the ludicrous idea that they were clearing a path through the corn by plucking ears, which would not be very effective, but also far in excess of the licence allowed in Dt 23:25 to 'pluck the ears with your hand, but not to put the sickle to your neighbour's standing grain' (for the pe'ah legislation which probably underlies this provision see Lv 19:9-10; 23:22). Presumably Mark means that, as the law allowed, they were plucking ears as they went, but he has expressed it awkwardly.”

Greek all seems a bit awkward to me still.
Verse 27 is kai elegen autois, To sabbaton dia ton anthrwpon egeneto kai ouk ho anthrwpos dia to sabbaton. Which is- and he said to them, the sabbath was made on account of man (or because of) and not man on account of the sabbath- zerwick and grosvener have – on man's account for (for the sake of).
Taken with the short story before it- very succint way of expressing something humans are very want to do. Get a man made (or God made) construct which was meant to be an aid and make it into a tyrant of sorts. Australia is doing a fine job of this at the moment with occupational health and safety related stuff- public liability insurance, low ropes courses having to be taken out of campgrounds, I can't take kids anywhere near water as an In Home Child Carer.
Sabbath was meant to rest human souls – help them reconnect in with the Creator- and here we have a whole lot of uptight people running around wondering whether others were 'breaking it' or not.

The conclusion Jesus draws is interesting- therefore (because wste is starting an independent clause – Zerwick and Grosvener) the son of man is lord even of the sabbath. I'm not sure it really follows- what is he saying?
- man is above the sabbath- but we are not 'lords' of the sabbath. - the Son of man is- is he saying in an indirect way that he is God?