Mercy before ritual observance

Luke 6 : 1- 5

We know we should take the Sabbath seriously. It is a day to remember and celebrate God's goodness, and the goodness of his work, both in creation and redemption. It is a day set apart for the praise of God, a day for rest and refreshment. So of course, ideally it is a day not to be distracted by the work of our hands.

But human need is always important to God for he has made us and is bringing to fullness all of his creation. The Pharisees, the 'law keepers' of the religious establishment had as usual got it all wrong. For them, rules are rules and the keeping them earns you holiness points. We know how Judaism even today has strict Sabbath rules, for example, not even performing basic household chores.

Jesus points out the obvious, yet perhaps not too clear to those whose focus is on religion rather than the God who is the source of our faith. I wonder if we fall into this trap too in our churches today. There are so many rules that stifle creativity and lock people into 'we always do it this way'. Nothing morally wrong, no doubt, but it then becomes difficult to hear God afresh, to reappropriate his desire for justice and mercy in our present day context. I know that many are disillusioned with churches where 'programs' have become the contemporary equivalent of yesterday's 'ritual observance'. Maybe there are real people with real needs that we are losing by focusing on ritualistic programs. Perhaps we are judging those who have to 'pluck grain on the Sabbath' to meet their needs. In such situations, we need to refer to the "Lord of the Sabbath" whose mercy is the gold standard.