Hebrews 6:10-20 / Mark 2:23-28

Today the evangelist Mark tells us about Jesus' teaching about the Sabbath, as the Son of Man that He is. As we know from the book of Genesis, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day, indicating that it was a day dedicated to Him, the Lord's Day, a day of rest from weekly work. As we know from the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, the third of the Ten Commandments is "Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day." In Hebrew, rest is called "Shabbat." The Jews had a sacred respect for the Sabbath. They forbade any and all work.

The Pharisees were truly obsessed with this subject. They questioned Jesus when they saw His disciples picking the heads of grain on the Sabbath. Without denying the sacredness of the Lord's Day, Jesus taught the Pharisees that the Sabbath Law was made for the good of man, and not to oppress man. He taught that satisfying the human need to eat is as important as observing the third commandment. As Saint Irenaeus of Lyons said: "The glory of God is the living man." 

Jesus concludes His teaching by saying that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. In other words, the Messiah - who is Jesus for us Christians - can recover the original meaning that God intended for the day of rest from weekly work. 

Let us value Sunday - the Lord's Day for Christians - the Day on which Christ rose from the dead, the Day of the new creation. May it be a day dedicated to God, to our neighbor. May it be a day of rest from work, enjoying the goods of creation in the company of family and friends. 

Today the author of the Letter to the Hebrews speaks to us of perseverance and commitment to charity and service to others. The author speaks of God's oath to Abraham and his perseverance in achieving the promise. The author concludes by saying that hope is like an anchor of the soul, sure and firm.

Let us follow Abraham's example, believing in God's oath and persevering in charity and service, until we achieve the promise, with hope.

Local: Springfield, MA, EUA

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