This week's readings are all from Mark chapter 2. Click here to see a list of each day's readings. Each day's segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week.
Today's Reading:
Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat as they made their way. So the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry— how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread, which is against the law for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath. (Mark 2:23–28 NET)
The previous translation is from the NET Bible translation. Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Resources for the Reading
- Parallel passages in the other Gospels.
What was God’s intention when he gave us Sabbath? How can we honor God’s original intention for keeping the Sabbath? Many of us use Sunday as our Sabbath but don’t make much difference to it than any other day of the week. We are very much a 24/7 society, so how do you make time for Sabbath?
@vltaylor1136 Often for me, the answer to questions of Jesus's meaning almost always start with "It comes down to the heart of it." (Which I suppose could also be debated just as much 😜) So, I think that the point of the Sabbath is quite simple, but apparently easy to complicate: take a break and rest.
The pharisees seem to use God's instructions as arbitrary boundaries to hold against people, forsaking the heart of the rule in the first place... and I think the other reality that can muddy this one a bit is that each of us can rest differently. It's not just about absolute inaction, it's about refilling your cup.
I like to think of the concept of introverts and extroverts; what kinds of things fill up and what kinds of things are a pouring-out? The only common thing all people share with "inactive rest" is sleep, probably... But as an introvert, frequent social interaction and engagement, though enjoyable and positive, is something that requires a finite part of my self... I am pouring out into those times (I'm intentionally not using the word "draining"). I absolutely love time with my family and my friends. But I eventually need my space to rest and be refilled. And for me that also definitely does not mean just being still until I'm full.
It can mean many things. Maybe expending quite a bit of energy to build something in the backyard is something that refills me; sometimes I need to exert my body so that my soul can rest. The command of the Sabbath is not for the sake of the rule. God is saying to me, "You need to find your rhythm of rest. You are gifted in the ways that you can pour out in the world, but you also need to put a cap in it so I can fill you up. You will do no good if you are constantly tipped over."
Okay, that's my rambling for the week. 😂
- It is interesting to me that there is no mention of worship here in connection with the sabbath. Worship has always been a part of the sabbath for me.