[ Today's Readings ]
Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Perhaps the Pharisees don't want to deal with the ugliness of the world on the Sabbath. They may prefer to treat it as a day when they can pretend that there is no sickness or suffering. After all, what does the Sabbath mean? Isn't it putting aside all work? And isn't dealing with this sort of thing work?
The Sabbath is the LORD's day. It is therefore even more appropriate to do good on the sabbath than any other day. We turn aside from the work related to our clawing struggle for self-preservation and promotion. But as we turn to the LORD we cannot do so by neglecting love. We cannot, therefore, treat the Sabbath as a day where we pretend that we are in heaven already.
Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."
Jesus makes the truth of this suffering apparent. He does not keep the withered hand concealed and simply speak a word. He does not take a minimalist approach to this healing which hides it from public view. Instead he lets the reality of suffering be seen so he can bring the full love and power of God to bear.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
The Pharisees and the Herodians are furious. This Sabbath rest where they can hide from the demands of love and holiness is being taken from them. This place where they can sit securely upon thrones of their own amidst a perfect world is being taken out from beneath them. Perhaps we need a little bit of this ourselves.
Jesus is the king of peace, without beginning of days or end of life. He is a priest forever. He never stops interceding for us. He never stops loving us. He calls us to enter into the eternity of his priesthood. In doing so we learn the true meaning of the Sabbath and begin to realize what the true hope of Sabbath entails.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
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