Wednesday, July 15: Mark 3- Doing good for others.

We don’t talk about Sabbath much these days. Our language is generally weekends or maybe the Lord’s Day. But Sabbath is arcane language for moderns.

In Jesus’ day, Sabbath was a big deal for Jews. One day in seven was a day for rest, spiritual renewal and relationships. Sabbath-keeping was one of their 10 commandments and Jews developed many rules to define Sabbath-keeping. The idea behind these rules was to help people know what could and could not be done on a Sabbath. The idea was honorable, but it became a huge burden. And worse, certain things like healing on the Sabbath were forbidden, so people suffered because of the Sabbath… a day meant to replenish and care for people. In God’s design, Sabbath was a day of rest to sustain the human body but man’s rules had made it a day of bondage.

To this Jesus said, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (4).

I found myself pondering the idea of doing good? Do I create rules or patterns of life that actually keep me from doing good? Like Jesus, do I look for ways to do good, even if it calls me to challenge conventions of life?

In my world it has almost become sacred that weekends are for “me.” Serving others on a weekend is unthinkable for many … it is my time. And yet serving others seems like it fits with Jesus’ Words better given the very self-centered way many presently view their weekends.

So this morning I found myself pondering doing good to others…

Lord, I offer my life to You to be a tool in Your hand to help and serve and do good to others. In Your name Jesus, I pray. Amen.