| Luke 14:1-6 | March 10 |
This past week one of our Sunday visitor cards was from Cookie, a guest who has understandable priorities for small groups. It made the office laugh and I respect the shout out to the Count with the Children’s ages (though I would write it “ah ah ah”).
Reading this scripture with Ivy, she can not understand the Pharisees’ hang-up with the Sabbath. Her view is understandable – it is hard to fathom not healing someone because of a rule against work. Of course as Christians today we barely understand Sabbath law. For us the sabbath is a day that is more nap friendly, but not much different than any other. Our biggest sabbath crisis is that Chick-fil-a is closed. Yet for the Jews the sabbath was a serious rule to follow – there would be no work. And they took great lengths to make this reality. And in their efforts, they missed the greater good.
Learning from this passage – I wonder if we have missed the greater good. Seeing Jesus disregard the Sabbath, we lowered the importance of upholding sabbath. Hence, as I wrote, it has become a good day to doze – maybe watch sports. Yet, Jesus wasn’t teaching us to get rid of the Sabbath Law. Instead he was teaching there is a hierarchy of God’s commands. We are to honor the Sabbath, but that is less important than loving our neighbor.
We often live as though God’s commands are black and white. Do this or don’t do that… always. But that is not the case. You honor the Sabbath. You go to church. You tithe. These are commands to uphold. But if your neighbor is in danger or in need of help… the charge to love your neighbor is the greater command.
So what does this have to do with Cookie? When we are just seeking to honor the sabbath it is easy to make church about ourselves. But if we embrace the greatest commands (loving God and our neighbor), then church can never be about us. It becomes about the visitor… who want cookies. Which, thank God, will benefit all of us!
Fellowship Challenge
Bake some cookies (or buy some cookies) and take them to a neighbor.
Surprise. Share. Enjoy