Rigid Religion
Reading for Friday March 10
Mark 2:13-28
Jesus shocks the religious community several times in this part of Mark’s story. Yesterday we read that Jesus forgave a man’s sins; something only God can do. In today’s reading he invites a despised man to join his band of disciples. Then Jesus sits and eats with the despised friends of the despised man. Jesus explains that he has ‘come’ for these despised and excluded people. They recognize that they need healing. People who believe they can provide their own health and rightness do not see that they need Jesus. It’s upside down that the self-recognized sinner gets something which the self-righteous cannot have.
The religious people fast, but Jesus’ disciples do not. They even infringe the ‘no work’ law and pluck some heads of grain as they walk through a field on the day of rest. Jesus replies to shocked questions by saying that he is master of the day of rest and can make decisions about it. God made the seventh day a day of rest, now Jesus says that he is master of that day.
Forgiving sins and claiming to be master of the day of rest are both things that only God can do. When Jesus said these things he was either blaspheming or saying he is God. The religious people were shocked and very angry. Jesus tells them to go and think about the words God spoke through the prophet Hosea, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice. and acknowledgment of God rather than sacrificial offerings"* He is referring to the fact that their religion is getting in their way. God has come to them and they are unable to recognize him because they cannot fit him into their religious system.
Think about Levy, the despised tax gather, Jesus has invited him in, and he has become the accepted and included member of the group of people who are being instructed by Jesus. Now he is shaped and matured as he lives with the people who are learning from Jesus. When he was excluded the only thing achieved was protection of the people who considered themselves to be all right. Now that he is included he is receiving the new righteousness. The righteousness that will be a gift to him when Jesus is crucified and God the triune, gives to all the people who believe in Jesus the same righteousness as Jesus.
*Matthew 9:13/Hosea 6:6
Mark 2:13-28
Jesus shocks the religious community several times in this part of Mark’s story. Yesterday we read that Jesus forgave a man’s sins; something only God can do. In today’s reading he invites a despised man to join his band of disciples. Then Jesus sits and eats with the despised friends of the despised man. Jesus explains that he has ‘come’ for these despised and excluded people. They recognize that they need healing. People who believe they can provide their own health and rightness do not see that they need Jesus. It’s upside down that the self-recognized sinner gets something which the self-righteous cannot have.
The religious people fast, but Jesus’ disciples do not. They even infringe the ‘no work’ law and pluck some heads of grain as they walk through a field on the day of rest. Jesus replies to shocked questions by saying that he is master of the day of rest and can make decisions about it. God made the seventh day a day of rest, now Jesus says that he is master of that day.
Forgiving sins and claiming to be master of the day of rest are both things that only God can do. When Jesus said these things he was either blaspheming or saying he is God. The religious people were shocked and very angry. Jesus tells them to go and think about the words God spoke through the prophet Hosea, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice. and acknowledgment of God rather than sacrificial offerings"* He is referring to the fact that their religion is getting in their way. God has come to them and they are unable to recognize him because they cannot fit him into their religious system.
Think about Levy, the despised tax gather, Jesus has invited him in, and he has become the accepted and included member of the group of people who are being instructed by Jesus. Now he is shaped and matured as he lives with the people who are learning from Jesus. When he was excluded the only thing achieved was protection of the people who considered themselves to be all right. Now that he is included he is receiving the new righteousness. The righteousness that will be a gift to him when Jesus is crucified and God the triune, gives to all the people who believe in Jesus the same righteousness as Jesus.
*Matthew 9:13/Hosea 6:6
posted by Jessie Coates at 11:47 PM
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