In today’s gospel Jesus tells his critics, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.” We keep our weekly sabbath, gathering for prayer and Bible study, songs of praise and petition, and fellowship with others. Just as healing the man with the withered hand was work that could not wait, so is carrying the gospel into the whole world an activity that ought not be restricted to one day a week. Welcoming these elements of our weekly worship in our daily lives helps us to remember the sabbath and share the good news with others each and every day.
Deuteronomy makes clear that sabbath-keeping is meant for the welfare of all. God delivered the Israelites out of slavery, so they should observe this freedom with a day of rest. No one should work seven days a week; even slaves and foreigners should be able to rest. Yet human beings can turn even the most liberating religious practice into a life-destroying rule. Jesus does not reject sabbath-keeping, but defends its original life-enhancing meaning. Our worship and our religious way of life are to lead to restoration: the hungry being fed and the sick being healed.
©2024, Sundays and Seasons, a div. of Augsburg Fortress.
