SCRIPTURE: Luke 14:1-6
God’s ultimate goal for us is joy, blessing, wholeness, peace.
This is why God gives the gift of sabbath (Hebrew word for rest).
To rest is refreshing, healing, drawing us into God’s blessing.
For Jesus, this man is missing out on God’s ultimate goal, and He does something about it.
He gives this man healing for the same reason as God gives us rest.
So Jesus is working with God by healing this man.
But the religious leaders do not share this concern, at least not for God’s ultimate goal.
If it was their child, or their ox, that would be different.
Helping them on the sabbath would suit their own personal goals.
Jesus exposes their lack of love, their disconnect from God and His heart.
God is not focused on technical religious obedience, but a sincere devotion to God and others.
This is the kind of religion God wants: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
See also Isaiah 1:11-17, for an idea of the kind of religion God wants.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, what else can we say. You are right, love for God and people is our highest calling, our religious duty. Save me from empty religion, and help me join with You in Your ultimate goal, for everyone!
Observation/Application
On the Sabbath – a day set apart for the Lord to reflect on His goodness, faithfulness, blessings and give Him the praises He deserves. And . . . the Pharisees were watching the Lord of the Sabbath to trap Him. They were critical of this powerful, people engaging, popular Man. Jesus saw through their ritualism and legalism and healed the man. What a way to give God the glory and praise on this special day?
On this day to ‘rest’ from our daily work, what better way was there to show our love for God than our love for our fellowman? That truly is JOYful living – JesusOthersYourself.
Too often we too are caught up with the legalism of a Sonday with what is proper rather than to live in joy before the Lord and give Him the glory. Each day is the Lord’s day and today also, Jesus must be first.
Your will be done in my life.
Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
Love Him, love Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Love Him, love Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.