Work? Sunday? : Last Sunday's Sermon

The Reading


The Gospel
Mark 2:23-3:6




One sabbath Jesus and his disciples were going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

The Sermon

Coincidence?

This is a short sermon. We scheduled a clean up day several weeks ago for today after the service. I am often a little conflicted when it comes to doing work on Sunday. After all, it is Sunday, a day of rest. The other side of this coin is that on Sunday we have a lot of people at church and heaven knows we have a lot of cleaning up to do around the place. Like I said, I'm conflicted.

This Tuesday, for the first time I read the Gospel lesson for this Sunday and it is like Jesus is speaking to me. The disciples are gathering grain in a field on the sabbath and Jesus is chastised by the Pharisees for allowing them to do work. His comment is basically, you do what you gotta do. And then he profoundly says, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.”

Is it just a coincidence that we were given that reading on a day we chose to do cleanup work around the church. Maybe yes, but I don't think so. Too many times in my life things have happened that just seemed to be, how do you say it? Coincidental.

I believe in the divine dance. I believe things happen for a reason whether I like it or not. I do not understand this divine dance and I am often clumsy in my footwork on this path I am taking through life. I do have faith in God and I trust that God will lead me and be by my side as I stumble along the way.

P.S.

The clean up day became more of a clean up hour but we got a lot done. You know the saying, 'many hands make light work'. It was a beautiful day and it was quite enjoyable for all of us. Afterward, we had a lunch of fried chicken and potato salad. God is great!