Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, February 2, 2025
by Pr. Sara Gorman, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Sometimes we get caught in the rules we miss the big miracle.
Rules exist for a reason. And most of the time that reason is to keep us safe. However, sometimes we focus so intensely on the rules that we miss the bigger picture. We stop at a stoplight when the light is red, because that means it’s not our turn. And when it is yellow, we are supposed to proceed with caution. Knowing this, what if as you were pulling up to the green light that’s been green for a little while now you stop and wait in case it turns red. The people behind you would likely get really angry, and there might even be an accident since others on the road weren’t anticipating you stopping. But out of fear the light might turn yellow while you are in the intersection, you decide to be extra cautious. That’s what paying too much attention to the rules is like. You get so caught up in what is going on in your own little world that you miss the bigger picture, and how your actions affect others.
The Pharisees are good rule followers. They don’t want to mess up, and they certainly don’t want to do something that would put a life in danger, especially their own. So they ask questions, they follow the rules a little too closely, and they watch Jesus’s every move until they can catch him on one of his actions not aligning with the law. But in doing so, they miss that Jesus is making people whole again so they can participate in society. They miss that the disciples are building relationships and in doing so, sometimes forget to eat when they should. They miss that the rules aren’t always the most important thing. And throughout the Bible they keep doing this, and they keep missing all the good that is going on around them.
