The Gospel of Mark 2:23-3:6
One sabbath Jesus and his disciples were 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.” Again, he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Let is Pray the Collect for This Sunday June 2nd
The Collect: O God, your never-failing providence sets in order all things both in heaven and earth: Put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
There is no joy or delight in any of life, including on the Sabbath, if rules eclipse all else. The rules can become so important they can take on a life of their own. Sooner or later, they have a way of sapping joy and making people and their needs disappear from sight. Once upon a time, somewhere way, way back, the people who cooked up all those rules had the best of intentions. The same was true of the rules (blue laws) some of our parents and grandparents followed. That’s why Jesus wants us to begin with God, with creation, and with each other. Jesus wants us to begin with love, as he made clear that day in the synagogue. In Jesus, God shows us that the core of authentic human life is love. The person who loves, Paul wrote, fulfills the law. To love is to enter into the divine fellowship of the Holy Spirit, to dwell in the eternal love of the Father for the Son and of the Son for the Father. People are more important than systems and programs. People are more important than rituals and religion. The best way to worship God is to help each other. Our love for God is expressed precisely in how we treat others. God loves all people, even the ones we have no use for, the ones we treat as though they don’t matter. When we behave poorly toward the people God loves, then we are behaving the same way toward God. God is interested in people, not in rituals for rituals’ sake.
The gospel declares God’s love. It’s interesting how carefully calculated step-by-step programs for evangelism seem to come and go, much like the latest fads in business and management. The main reason most people come to church and keep coming to church and become believers is the same today as it was 2,000 years ago – they meet people who like them and accept them and become their friends. With church attendance falling off one reason is that programs, by nature, are manipulated devices. Many of the programs are not always inclusive, they may be tailored to just a specific group that the developer of the program wants to benefit. They might work well for business endeavors, where advertising and manipulation of emotions is crucial to selling a product. But the gospel is not a product; it is a declaration of God’s love. Love doesn’t come by programs. It comes in its own way in its own time. It is strengthened and proven by self-sacrifice, patience, and forbearance. It cannot be explained; it can only be lived. It’s something you live out, not something you evaluate on a scale of measurable outcomes. It’s messy, not predictable. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it thrills. It’s never static. It doesn’t play by the rules; the rules can’t keep up.
The main reason most people come to church and keep coming to church and become believers is the same today as it was 2,000 years ago — they meet people who like them and accept them and become their friends. Programs don’t do it, love does it. God made the Sabbath for mankind, not the other way around and Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath. We rest in him, not in our own works. His love binds us to himself, and he loves us for no other reason than that he wants to! He makes us new in himself, only because he loves us and has chosen freely not to be without us.
That’s good news. God has made people, including you and me, his priority. He loves us, and we can’t make him stop loving us. In that place of refuge, in the security of God’s endless love for us, we are free to make him our priority. Therein lies the unshakable peace, joy, and fullness of life we so crave. Therein lies our true rest.
Let us Pray: Creator God, we know that we are part of the problems that the world faces, and we know that wherever there is resentment between people there will be tension. We pray that those who lead us and the other nations of the world will always try to solve issues in a peaceful way and intervene in the world’s conflicts with forethought and common sense. This we pray in the name of Your Son our Lord and Savior. Amen
Reflections by Bob 