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Morning Devotion for the Season of Epiphany

January 17, 2024

The Invitatory

I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Reading: Mark 3:1-6

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones

Hmmm, this strikes me as emblematic of our very own time. The Pharisees are waiting to trap Jesus. For no sooner does Jesus enter the synagogue, then others are watching and waiting with unbated breath to pounce on him and accuse him. There is no curiosity that cause them to exercise the least amount of patience so that they might discover what Jesus; intensions might be and seemingly little to no consideration whatsoever for the man with the withered hand. That man himself seems unable to speak or advocate for himself. The scene screams of both divisiveness and hardness of heart for one’s fellow human being and in the synagogue of all places! It is breathtaking to me how quickly and virulently the opposition to Jesus arises and how it exposes the ugly nature of humankind that is so very focused on power and position based upon a misunderstanding of Sabbath, masquerading as piety.

In the verses preceding this passage, Jesus has declared, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath, so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” The teaching here is twofold. God has handed the Sabbath over to humankind. In this instance what is important is that the concern for the man whose hand is withered should override the observance of sabbath custom and law that would forbid work. But think about this. For those who are nurses and physicians, yes, it would seem that healing is their “work,” though one might also easily consider it a calling. To dishonor that professional care or calling in the face of someone in need, would seem the greater departure from the law.

Jesus has the opportunity to demonstrate to those gathered now in the temple that there is something greater, a much larger need to address, and that is to heal. For while this may immediately take care of a physical need, who knows what effect this will have on this particular human being and his family. The healing will have a ripple effect onto many. And more immediately, it places the human being within a larger perspective of the meaning of Sabbath. For Sabbath is intended to serve humankind.

One of the young people interviewed this morning in the wake of the Iowa caucus remarked that she does not plan to vote. She is largely turned off by the divisiveness in our political conversations, dialogues or debates. She felt that her views were not even expressed, that she had no part in the conversations in the political realm. That is unhealthy, particularly for a democracy. It is even more unhealthy within a religious institution. For here the very immediate need of one person would go both unnoticed and unheeded. That is both diminishing to him, to the community and to all those who could render assistance and would not for fear of being scorned or removed from the body.

Sometimes what the law requires, as in this case, must be set aside so that humankind is free to pursue something that is greater or that meets a larger need.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.