Thursday, October 3, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
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)

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Reflection

Since I remember way back before email and texting were the common modes of communication, I also remember the early warnings against “reading tone” into the messages. When we read an email, book, or even scripture, we unconsciously imagine the person delivering the message orally. Yet the written word doesn’t easily signal a tone. I’m familiar with this passage in Luke, so I immediately thought of those purity police religious leaders engaging in a “gotcha” moment” with Jesus.

Then I reread the passage as if the Pharisees were curiously inquiring about the practice of plucking grain on the sabbath. Jesus was a known teacher. Were they asking him to teach them a new way of seeing the world? Reread the passage through that lens. Granted the last verse about being filled with fury might refute my position. However, does that mean we can’t also be curious?

There have been many points in my life when my automatic response has been “The rules are the rules and stop breaking them.” At times that is an important perspective. In each of those times, however, the situation would have been better resolved if I would have been more curious first. The rules may still be important to follow, but it is never a wasted effort to understand someone’s differing perspective.

I think that might be what Jesus means when he says we should love God and love our neighbors. Get up close. Listen. Understand perspective. Stop imagining a tone that isn’t present. Setting aside a sabbath is important and so is feeding people and helping return our community to health. How do we find a way to honor all?

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Prayer
Lord of the sabbath and lover of my neighbors, pique my curiosity before my judgment sets in. Grant that I see different perspectives through your eyes. Amen.

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Written by Andrea Denney, Executive Director of Operational Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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