Hi everyone,
Summer’s almost here, although you wouldn’t be able to tell judging by the weather. But then again, maybe you could. And with summer comes no school, and with no school comes more free time, and with more free times comes… um… maybe doing something productive?
That’s what we’re hoping for our oldest son, that when he isn’t in summer school, maybe he can be somewhere working and learning more independence and how to earn a dollar (or two). But that first job is always a tough one. Having to find something that will be worth your time and maybe even something
I was lucky that as a kid, my first job was helping my uncle landscape his backyard and do general renovations in his house. It was because of this job that I learned that I kind of enjoyed working with my hands. Also, I learned that I’m not that good at it.
However, learn I did and some of the principles of work. Namely, it’s not really a “job” if it’s something that fulfills you. It’s not a chore to do something you enjoy. It is actually a gift to be able to do something you love.
Here are the readings for next week:
Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Psalm 81:1-10
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
Mark 2:23—3:6
As a kid, I always had issue with this episode of Jesus’ ministry as we read in Mark. I think it’s because I was raised to follow the rules that were set out in front of me, and so I didn’t get why Jesus and his disciples would break the rules of the time and even almost throw it in the faces of the Pharisees. I mean it’s pretty clear that the rules say no work on the Sabbath as we see in Deuteronomy. So working is breaking the rules.
And I wouldn’t be able to get away with something like that if I tried.
But then when Jesus says “the Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath,” I could see it more clearly. The Sabbath rule wasn’t actually a rule at all, but it was a gift. It wasn’t meant to be a chore to not work, but it was supposed to be something for us to enjoy. It shouldn’t be a job to observe the Sabbath, but it is something that is to fulfill us, give us joy, and allow us to appreciate the kind of society that God envisions.
So Jesus wasn’t breaking the rules per se, but rather he was fulfilling the mandate that God had set out before us, which is to do what is good, just, and kind, and for us to walk humbly with God and each other.
Thank God for rest and fulfilling work in our lives! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Sushobhan Badhai on Unsplash