Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” And they could not reply to this.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, March 3, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
A lot of Christians cling stubbornly to pedantic interpretations of the ‘rules’ as they see them. They see the seven brief texts use to condemn homosexuality and are determined to take them literally to justify their discomfort and hatred of those who are different than them. Meanwhile they discard countless other ‘rules’ and texts as no longer relevant.
Jesus calls out just this kind of hypocrisy when he turns on the Pharisees. They cling to the rule about not working on the Sabbath even when it would prevent someone from being healed. Jesus isn’t having it. If someone you loved or something you owned required your help on the Sabbath, you’d take care of it, wouldn’t you? If that’s the case, then you need to take care of everyone even if it’s not to your own benefit.
Jesus out. (mic drop)
God of boundless love, help me to see where I cling to beliefs that serve only to make me comfortable at the expense of your divine justice for all. Amen.
