“Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Mk 3:4
The answer to Jesus' question is clear and uncomplicated. Of course it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. In fact, it is mandatory. Every observant Jew knew this, and the poor especially were no doubt lifted up by Jesus' simple but challenging question to the Jewish leaders.
Often trapped by the parsing of the Torah about Sabbath, the poor needed an Advocate. Without Jesus they had no defense against the Sadducees who were forever talking and writing about ways to break the Sabbath. Jesus is interested in living the Sabbath with joy, not failing to observe every nuance.
Most of the Gospel is simple, and although we know this, too often we leave the interpretation of the Scriptures to experts, and although the work of scholars can be helpful, it should not get in the way of everyday people reading the text regularly and letting it speak to them on its own. Otherwise, we lose the freshness of the text and its ability to live and inspire in every culture.
Today, rest on the Sabbath and worry about nothing else.
What are your best Sunday memories?
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