Readings for the Day:
Deuteronomy 5:12-15: This portion of the Ten Commandments instructs the Israelites to keep the Sabbath. The Israelites are to rest, and they are to allow their slaves, their livestock, and the foreigners living among them to do the same. They were once slaves, and so they are to treat their own slaves justly.
II Corinthians 4:5-12: When we carry out God’s ministry we do so not for our glory but for the sake of Jesus Christ whom we proclaim as Lord. The power for ministry comes from God, not us, so that we persevere no matter what, trusting in God’s power and promises at work through us.
Mark 2:23-3:6: Jesus challenges the prevailing interpretation of what is lawful on the Sabbath and tells his critics that the Sabbath was made for humankind, not the other way around. Healing the man with the withered hand is work that cannot wait until the next day.
‘From Sunday & Seasons, copyright 2023 Augsburg Fortress’
Questions To Ponder:
1— How do you honor the Sabbath? (Deut. 5:12-15)
2—How is the life of Jesus made visible in our bodies? (II Cor. 4:10)
3—Why does Jesus heal on the Sabbath? (Mark 2:23-3:6)
4—How do these texts speak to you today?
Prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, throughout time you free the oppressed, heal the sick, and make whole all that you have made. Look with compassion on the world wounded by sin, and by your power restore us to wholeness of life. Amen.