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Matthew 12: 1-8
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.
His disciples were hungry
and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
“See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.”
He said to the them, “Have you not read what David did
when he and his companions were hungry,
how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,
which neither he nor his companions
but only the priests could lawfully eat?
Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath
the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath
and are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.
If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
you would not have condemned these innocent men.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Some say America’s legal system has a few backward, or inconvenient, laws that need to be updated. In particular, certain laws that restrict work and commerce on Sundays.
For example, on a Sunday in New Jersey it’s illegal to purchase a car. In Massachusetts, it’s illegal to hunt. In many states, it’s illegal to purchase alcohol before noon.
These laws are known as “blue laws,” which were originally written to protect the Sabbath, allowing all Americans to attend church.
But these days, only one-third of Americans find themselves in a church pew on Sunday morning. Many are too busy attending sports games, running errands, cleaning the house, or sleeping in.
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But this idea of “blue laws,” which may seem ridiculous to us today, reminds us of the importance of time, the importance of rest, and the importance of worshiping God.
In this context, we can see why the Pharisees are so angry in today’s Gospel. They interpret the disciples’ actions to be contrary to the Sabbath, much like a person trying to illegally purchase a car or go hunting on a Sunday.
While the Pharisees are overly legalistic, they never conclude a week without acknowledging the Lord.
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Perhaps there’s a word in that for us.
Many of us lead very busy lives; time passes quickly. But can we take a moment at the beginning of each day to acknowledge the Lord?
This is why I post the “God minute” daily; not only remind myself to pray, but also to encourage others to do the same.
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While “blue laws” may go out of style, our need to recognize the Lord, especially on Sundays, should never change.
So, when the sun rises on Sunday morning, where will you be?
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Image credits: (1) Wide Open Eats (2) Let’s Talk About Sunday, WordPress (3) The Stylus, WordPress