Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ ”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, January 14, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Well, Jesus is starting to stir it up now! Not only is he healing on the sabbath, but he is also calling God his father. His actions and his words were beginning to get him in trouble. But Jesus didn't care about getting in trouble. He cared about doing the right thing. Jews had turned God's laws of love into laws of restriction and punishment. The gift of the sabbath had become a curse. The letter of the law had become oppressive rather than rejuvenating. Jesus came to bring people back to God, and back to the gifts that God had offered.
History tends to repeat itself, of course. From the crusades to the inquisition to the holocaust, Christians seems to abuse and misuse God's laws of love to oppress instead of deliver. In light of our current political climate, I fear we may be returning again to a time when people who are "not-us" are being targeted and oppressed. This might be a good time to look again at Jesus' actions and words, and ask ourselves what we might do to support God's laws of love and the people who need God's love (and ours) the most.
What are your thoughts? What direction should we go when it concerns justice for all?
An
Exceptional
People
Blog Posts
SIGN UP NOW