Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2: 23 - 28

The Sabbath was made for man.....

In the past, as it often is today, we try to make rules and attribute them to God. This is a perpetual problem because as humans, we want to hang on to some tangible form of security, one whereby we can control others, especially their behavior. What better than religious laws and rules? Of course in throwing out what is redundant, we need to be careful to preserve the essence of God's commands to his human creatures, commands that are actually house rules our Father ordains for his children's well being.

Indeed, Jesus points out that human needs take precedence over ritual customs. God sees and knows the needs of his beloved creatures and will allow 'exceptions' (as in David's time, when in their hunger they ate the bread of the Presence), for man's well being. In the same way, Sabbath rules are for the well being of man, to refresh and renew a person after a cycle of work. And plucking heads of grain to eat is 'legitimate' work, even on the Sabbath - because it is meant for nurture and renewal. It is good to take a look at some of the rules we take for granted, as Christians, whether things we have adopted or what we inherit from our particular denomination. And open them anew to the scrutiny of our overall life with God. Do they truly bring glory to God, or only to man's own desire for orderliness and control?

The Son of man is Lord even of ......all our rules.