Thoughts for the Day

Jesus 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.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Mark is still moving swiftly through his Gospel with opposition to Jesus increasing. He has been healing people, proclaiming forgiveness of sins, touching lepers, and eating with outcasts. He has put himself outside the Law of Moses becoming unclean himself, and effectively proclaiming he is the Son of God, since who else could forgive sins? However, now he really courts danger - he breaks the Sabbath laws! The law says that people cannot work on the Sabbath, it's a day of rest. Healing is work! No act of healing can be done unless it's a question of life and death, and then only minimal acts - for instance bones can't be set, and in a war no fighting can occur even to save your own life! Yet here is Jesus in front of the Pharisees, Scribes, and Herod's supporters flagrantly breaking the Law by healing the man with the withered arm.

This is an example of a total clash of ideas. Throughout Christian history we have seen this happen, often resulting in religious wars where each side believes their understanding of the faith is correct and all others are at best mistaken and at worse heretics. Today starts the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and since these Thoughts go to Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Methodist, Baptist, and Lutheran Christians it seems right that we too should mark this week with prayer. But we are not praying for some bland new community, but to appreciate the values of each denomination, and support each other. Ecumenism is about strength, and understanding in diversity, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father,
we ask Your forgiveness
for the way the Church
has splintered into fragments,
and we ask You to help us
to stretch out a hand of friendship
to others who worship in
slightly different ways.
May we remember that we
have more in common
than that which separates us.
Amen.