Friday, 6/10/2011
Reading: Mark 2:23-27
Reflection: It seems to me...at least in the initial reading in the early morning hours...that the central issue of this passage is summed up in Jesus' statement "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." What does this mean? Well, as most of us know, the Sabbath was a seventh day rest. On every other day of the week it was acceptable...even good...for people to be busily and productively working. However, on the seventh day, people were to rest from the daily work of life in order to rest and worship. This seventh day of rest was patterned after God's work in creation where we are told that God worked for six days, and on the seventh day He rested. However, in Jesus day the religious leaders had turned this concept upside down. You see, God gave man the Sabbath in order for the benefit of man. It was for the man's good that he rest. God didn't make the Sabbath first, and then create man so that the Sabbath would be honored. In other words, the rule was made for the benefit of people, people were not made for the benefit of the rule. It is easy for us to get this backwards in life. So, on this day, let's make sure that we put people before programs; relationships before rules. In this way, we will reflect the image of our maker who did the same thing.
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