Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Today’s Reading  |  Luke 6:1–11
One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (NRSV)

Reflection
Today if we saw people walking through our gardens or by our fruit trees or cornfields helping themselves to produce to eat, we’d be upset that they were taking what did not belong to them. Not so in Jesus’ day. Then it was fine for travelers to gather fruit or grain from a field as they passed by. The hungry had a right to eat. The Pharisees questioned why Jesus’ disciples took food, but not because of stealing. The disciples, in reaping and rubbing the grain in their hands (threshing), engaged in work that was forbidden on the sabbath. Jesus responds by citing an earlier incident in which David and his companions had suspended religious law to satisfy their hunger.

On another sabbath, the scribes and Pharisees intently watched Jesus in order to bring accusation against him for curing. Jesus, fully aware of this, boldly healed a man with a withered hand. The scribes and Pharisees were furious and became more intent on destroying him. Jesus challenged not only their understanding and use of sabbath law, but their obsession with its strict adherence to be considered righteous. He frames his compassionate intervention with the question “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or destroy it?”

Jesus is Lord of the sabbath. He taught that every day it is right to do good towards others. Whenever we find ourselves hanging on tightly to certain ways of doing things, we need to question whose needs and expectations, or what fears, motivate us. We need to ask, “Am I serving God?” “Am I loving others?” “Is this life-giving?”

Prayer
Deliver me, gracious God, from focusing so much on what I think is right that I fail to love you and others. Amen.

Written by Victoria G. Curtiss, Associate Pastor for Mission

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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