John 9:13-16
Today is Saturday. For some traditions it is Sabbath. Last week Pastor Pamela talked about rest and Sabbath. Jesus cared about the Sabbath, he kept the Jewish tradition. Let’s not let any stories trick us into thinking against this fact. However, Jesus developed a deeper understanding of Sabbath that none of the religious leaders of his time could fathom.
John tells us a story of Jesus healing a man blind from birth on a day that was supposed to be a Sabbath (John 9:1-7). Upon seeing that, the pharisees said to one another: “this man is not from God for he does not obey the Sabbath.” Now let me rephrase. “This man is not from God because he performed a healing act and restored life and hope to a man who spent his life in the darkness.” Could that be their logic? I think they were smarter than that. What the leaders of the time were really saying is that “this man is not from God because he does not obey OUR rules.” He just does not fit in! They weren’t worried about God’s rules, they were worried about theirs.
And so, there comes Jesus and he reminds them about what is really important and what pleases God’s heart.
Sabbath is about rest. Correct. But it is also about coming back to God. You free yourself from all other occupations so you can focus on God, and that includes God’s people and those who need our attention: a man blind from birth, or homeless from birth, or simply those little ones or things that we do not notice on a daily basis.
Friends, every now and then, we are sent a reminder about what is important and what should be priority in life. These days are teaching us so much about Sabbath, about rest, about compassion, human connections and the importance of social interactions in our lives.
Ironically, not many are missing the overwhelming schedules, or the restless weekends but many are sorry about not visiting their elderly relatives when they had the chance.
Such reminders are often hard to accept because they come with pain and shame. The Pharisees just could not accept the reminder sent to them. They drove the man with restored sight out because he is a constant reminder of what they are not doing, of what is important, and what they are leaving out.
Jesus’s voice continues to challenge and change their and our world: “The Sabbath was made for humans, and not humans for the Sabbath.”
Blessings,
Rola
Parkview is a member of the Presbyterian Church USA.
Last Updated: April 5, 2020 by Veronica Gould
March 28, 2020: Happy Sabbath!
John 9:13-16
Today is Saturday. For some traditions it is Sabbath. Last week Pastor Pamela talked about rest and Sabbath. Jesus cared about the Sabbath, he kept the Jewish tradition. Let’s not let any stories trick us into thinking against this fact. However, Jesus developed a deeper understanding of Sabbath that none of the religious leaders of his time could fathom.
John tells us a story of Jesus healing a man blind from birth on a day that was supposed to be a Sabbath (John 9:1-7). Upon seeing that, the pharisees said to one another: “this man is not from God for he does not obey the Sabbath.” Now let me rephrase. “This man is not from God because he performed a healing act and restored life and hope to a man who spent his life in the darkness.” Could that be their logic? I think they were smarter than that. What the leaders of the time were really saying is that “this man is not from God because he does not obey OUR rules.” He just does not fit in! They weren’t worried about God’s rules, they were worried about theirs.
And so, there comes Jesus and he reminds them about what is really important and what pleases God’s heart.
Sabbath is about rest. Correct. But it is also about coming back to God. You free yourself from all other occupations so you can focus on God, and that includes God’s people and those who need our attention: a man blind from birth, or homeless from birth, or simply those little ones or things that we do not notice on a daily basis.
Friends, every now and then, we are sent a reminder about what is important and what should be priority in life. These days are teaching us so much about Sabbath, about rest, about compassion, human connections and the importance of social interactions in our lives.
Ironically, not many are missing the overwhelming schedules, or the restless weekends but many are sorry about not visiting their elderly relatives when they had the chance.
Such reminders are often hard to accept because they come with pain and shame. The Pharisees just could not accept the reminder sent to them. They drove the man with restored sight out because he is a constant reminder of what they are not doing, of what is important, and what they are leaving out.
Jesus’s voice continues to challenge and change their and our world: “The Sabbath was made for humans, and not humans for the Sabbath.”
Blessings,
Rola
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Category: Devotionals Tags: compassion, devotional, God, John 9:13-16, priority, rest, Rola
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