Saturday, July 20, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
Mark 2:23–28

One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (NRSV)

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Reflection

Sometimes I wonder if I am auditioning to be the poster boy for the Protestant work ethic. Truthfully, I love being busy. I get a rush by filling my calendar to the brim and being connected to my email 24/7. From work deadlines to social commitments, my life is a whirlwind of activity. And, if you’re like me, you love to tell everyone just how busy you are in life. I know I am not alone. Many of us have come to believe that our value and worth is directly related to how much we do and how hard we work. Being busy and working hard makes us feel important and needed. We wear it as a badge of honor, but really, it’s a trap.

Jesus offers a counterpoint rooted in his devotion to the sabbath — to the observance of a day of rest and reflection. For while his sabbath-day healing of the sick and feeding his disciples may look like he disregards the goal of the practice, really Jesus is showing us the true purpose of sabbath. For Jesus, the sabbath isn’t about obligation but about human need — healing, feeding, rest. “The sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the sabbath,” Jesus says. To put it plainly: God doesn’t need the sabbath. We do.

Sabbath is God’s invitation to slow down, pause, and find our worth in who we are and not what we do. It stands in contrast to the false notion that our value is found in our productivity and accomplishment. It is a gift and a chance to take a breath, find what we need, and delight in the One who knows our true and sacred value.

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Prayer
O God, more days than not I find myself looking for my value and worth in all the wrong places. Help me to slow down and recognize that the truest truth of who I am is in whose I am: yours alone. Amen.

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Written by Shawn Fiedler, Major Gift Officer

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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