Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 2; Year 2
Morning, Psalms 16 and, 17; Evening, Psalm 22
Proverbs 8:1 to 21; 2nd John 1 to 13; Matthew 12:1 to 14:
“He said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?” (Matthew 12:11).
While Jesus follows the rules for honoring the Sabbath, he cautions us to remember that the Sabbath was instituted by God as a gift to us, and not us to the Sabbath. The Sabbath was then, and is now, the seventh day of the week, Saturday,(tomorrow).
Yes, we Christians worship on the First day of the week, and that’s fine. But the Lord of the Sabbath never moved it from the seventh to the first day of the week. The Sabbath is for rest and reflection, within reason. Worship, on the other hand, requires work. Let us ponder how we might respect our Sabbath time beginning this evening.
As Jesus points out, there are times in which some of us must be steadfast in our vocations and responsibilities because of personal or community needs. Medical personal, the police, prison staff, the military and first responders are examples of such needs. But when able, such persons should get back into honoring the Sabbath. It is a gift from God.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom.
What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray:
We give thanks to you dear Lord God for gifting us with time for rest and reflection. Help us we pray to observe our Sabbath time in order to contemplate your presence in our lives every day of the week. And as we are able, to return to honoring the Sabbath as life permits, as you are the Lord of the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Amen.
onewhoponders 