Luke 6:1-16
A lot is going on in the readings
for this Sunday. We begin with these Sabbath issues—picking grain on the Sabbath
and healing on the Sabbath.
This first seems to be a rather
innocent act. The disciples and Jesus are passing through a wheat field and
simply pick some grain to eat as they walk along. This doesn’t seem very
different from what often happened as I walked home from school as a kid. I’d
often pass a mango tree, grab a stone from the ground, pelt it up and knock a
mango out of the tree, and eat that mango on my way. I don’t think anyone
thought for a moment that I was going about the business of “harvesting mangos.”
But, the teachers of the Jewish law have put so many protections and hedges
around the laws over the centuries that by Jesus’ time, the simple act of
picking a head of grain to eat as a snack had been outlawed on Sabbath. Ironically,
the keeping of Sabbath—a day of rest—had become a lot of work.
Healing had somehow fallen into the
same category as “work” and, therefore, was also forbidden. Sabbath—a good gift
from God to provide rhythm to our lives, to give us a day of rest from the
labors of the week—should have been a good day for doing good. But, not so.
Jesus sees a man who is practically in bondage from his injury or illness, a
man who cannot provide as would like for his family. While we have options,
technology, and the like to compensate for injuries today, God’s act in his
life is the only recourse this fellow has. Jesus sees the need and meets the
need—he heals the man. And the Pharisees go nuts.
We also read the calling of the Twelve
disciples—that “inner circle” that will walk with Jesus and be the ones to carry
the Gospel across the known world after the resurrection. What’s important to see
is the that not only are they chosen by Jesus, they have chosen to still be
around him—after hearing about his being thrown out of his hometown synagogue
for suggesting God’s love and grace extended beyond the borders of Israel,
after hearing about his healings and exorcisms, after seeing the amazing catch
of fish, after hearing that he forgave a man’s sins and restored a paralytic to
life, after seeing and hearing his run-ins with the Pharisees. After all of
this and more, they are still there. The disciples have seen that Jesus is a trouble-maker
and rule-breaker…and a healer, peace-maker, and mender of lives—and still, they
are “all in.” They have stayed with Jesus, they have chosen Jesus…and now Jesus
has chosen them.
As we see the unfolding of Jesus’ life in our journey through Luke, we’re seeing what the early disciples saw—following Jesus includes of a life of trouble-making and rule-breaking…and healing, peace-making, and life-mending. Are we “all in”? Do we remain committed to living the disciple-life today? Luke 6:1-16
A lot is going on in the readings
for this Sunday. We begin with these Sabbath issues—picking grain on the Sabbath
and healing on the Sabbath.
This first seems to be a rather
innocent act. The disciples and Jesus are passing through a wheat field and
simply pick some grain to eat as they walk along. This doesn’t seem very
different from what often happened as I walked home from school as a kid. I’d
often pass a mango tree, grab a stone from the ground, pelt it up and knock a
mango out of the tree, and eat that mango on my way. I don’t think anyone
thought for a moment that I was going about the business of “harvesting mangos.”
But, the teachers of the Jewish law have put so many protections and hedges
around the laws over the centuries that by Jesus’ time, the simple act of
picking a head of grain to eat as a snack had been outlawed on Sabbath. Ironically,
the keeping of Sabbath—a day of rest—had become a lot of work.
Healing had somehow fallen into the
same category as “work” and, therefore, was also forbidden. Sabbath—a good gift
from God to provide rhythm to our lives, to give us a day of rest from the
labors of the week—should have been a good day for doing good. But, not so.
Jesus sees a man who is practically in bondage from his injury or illness, a
man who cannot provide as would like for his family. While we have options,
technology, and the like to compensate for injuries today, God’s act in his
life is the only recourse this fellow has. Jesus sees the need and meets the
need—he heals the man. And the Pharisees go nuts.
We also read the calling of the Twelve
disciples—that “inner circle” that will walk with Jesus and be the ones to carry
the Gospel across the known world after the resurrection. What’s important to see
is the that not only are they chosen by Jesus, they have chosen to still be
around him—after hearing about his being thrown out of his hometown synagogue
for suggesting God’s love and grace extended beyond the borders of Israel,
after hearing about his healings and exorcisms, after seeing the amazing catch
of fish, after hearing that he forgave a man’s sins and restored a paralytic to
life, after seeing and hearing his run-ins with the Pharisees. After all of
this and more, they are still there. The disciples have seen that Jesus is a trouble-maker
and rule-breaker…and a healer, peace-maker, and mender of lives—and still, they
are “all in.” They have stayed with Jesus, they have chosen Jesus…and now Jesus
has chosen them.
As we see the unfolding of Jesus’ life
in our journey through Luke, we’re seeing what the early disciples saw—following
Jesus includes of a life of trouble-making and rule-breaking…and healing,
peace-making, and life-mending. Are we “all in”? Do we remain committed to living
the disciple-life today? As God is “all in” for us, may we be “all in” for God.
Sunday, February 2, 2025
“…Shared Ministry: All In”
Watch/Listen: HERE
Sunday, February 2, 2025
“…Shared Ministry: All In”
Watch/Listen: HERE
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