Wednesday - Healing, work, Sabbath

Daily Readings for Wednesday, March 23, 2011

• Morning Psalms 5; 147:1-11
• First Reading Jeremiah 3:6-18
• Second Reading Romans 1:(26-27) 28-2:11
• Gospel John 5:1-18
• Evening Psalms 27; 51

In John's gospel reading, Jesus heals. Miraculously heals a man who was blind, lame and paralyzed for 38 years (that's pretty specific for a biblical story). And Jesus asks the man - do you want to be made well? (I find it interesting that the man doesn't answer Jesus directly - instead his answer is a lot like describing what happens because he is not well. "I don't have anyone to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up and people always cut in front of me when I try to move myself." I suppose this means "Yes, Jesus, I want to be well." But what I find interesting is that it isn't a direct answer. And I think sometimes this happens to me - and us - as well. Jesus asks us "Do we want to be well." And our souls might be crying out - yes, I want to be made well - but we answer "I don't have time to sit still and know that you are God" or make other excuses that deny our need to be made whole.

Jesus hears the man and says to him "Stand up, take up your mat and walk." And the man does. It's a great story about the possibilities for healing and wholeness when one encounters Jesus.

But for the gospel of John, the story doesn't end there. There are some who are suspicious of Jesus (religious leaders and authorities who are threatened by his work and ministry) and they question the fact that Jesus cured and performed miracles on the Sabbath. Jesus answers: "My Father is still working; and I am working also." So Jesus has two strikes against him in the eyes of the "Jews who were seeking to kill him." First, he did work on the Sabbath; second, he claimed that God is his Father (blasphemy to Jews).

I was struck by the fact that Jesus says healing people is work. I began to create a job description for Jesus in my imagination. Heal the sick. Feed the hungry. Give hope to the poor. And quickly the lines between work and ministry began to blur. Now maybe it is because my "job" is also my "ministry" and "vocation" that I pay particular attention to job descriptions. But I also believe that one can serve God and live out a vocation doing any profession - the teacher, the engineer, the baker or candlestick maker - can all live out a live of ministry and vocation and call.

Jesus works on the sabbath - but his work is a ministry of healing and restoration. I'm all for sabbath time and the rhythm of sabbath because I believe that God's intention for sabbath is to help us connect and draw closer to God; a day set aside to delight in God's goodness and presence in our lives. But sabbath can also be a time to promote the healing and wholeness of Christ's ministry.

Dear God, thank you for my call and the claim that you have on my life. Help me to practice sabbath in such a way that I am drawn closer to you and your son Jesus. Amen.