But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. (Luke 6:8–10; NKJV)

Keeping the Sabbath holy was one of the central tenets of the Mosaic Law. It was the fourth commandment that God gave Israel at Mt. Sinai (Exod 20:8–11). The commandment explains that the seventh day of every week is to be a day of rest from work for everyone in Israel—all people, including children, servants, foreigners in Israel, and even work animals (v. 10).