Daily Gospel Reflection

Reimagine the Sabbath

The gospel very often is about addition via subtraction. It's very often about accomplishing more by doing less. It's very often about slowing down in a world that's gone crazy with noise, speed, and confusion, and distraction. I'm Matthew Kelly. Welcome back to Radical and Relevant where we are exploring today's Gospel. And today's Gospel comes from Mark chapter 2. "One Sabbath, he was going through the grain fields. And as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck ears of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, 'Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?' And Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him, how they entered the house of God? When Abana was high priest and ate the bread of the presence, which is not lawful for any but the priest to eat and also gave it to those who were with him?' And Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.' So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

So we're looking for a word, a phrase, an idea, and a virtue. Sometimes I like to just look at the reading different ways. I like to think, "Okay, how many words do I have to go into the reading before I find the word?" Today, it's only two words. Reading opens up, "One Sabbath, he was going through the grain fields." One Sabbath. Word today is Sabbath. It's a beautiful word. It's a beautiful thing. A Sabbath is something that's been lost to the insanity of modern culture. And it reflects in so many ways in the insanity of our lives, in the sickness of our relationships, the illness we experience physically. So much of what we're experiencing negatively in our world and in our culture can be tied back to the abandonment of the genius of the Sabbath.

The other thing I like to do sometimes if I'm looking for a word or a phrase or an idea in a reading, I sometimes think, "Okay, what word is repeated most times in this scripture?" And in this scripture, the word Sabbath appears five times. So my question for you today is when was the last time you really experienced the Sabbath? When was the last time you really shut it down and allowed God to give you rest and rejuvenation, to give you leisure, holy leisure, so that you could get perspective and wisdom and be ready to go back out into the world? What does that mean? What are the rules? Well, I guess worry about that less.

The Jewish people, they observe Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. I have many very busy friends with enormous corporate jobs who observe Sabbath from sundown on Saturday to sundown on Sunday so that on Sunday night they can work with their kids on their homework and plan their week at work and get ready for what is coming at them this week. And so my challenge to you is to reimagine the Sabbath. What does it mean for you? What is God inviting you to on the Sabbath? What gift is God trying to give you through the Sabbath? Because I think we are all tired and worn out and overwhelmed and probably a little bit burned out and frustrated and confused. And the clarity and the rest that we yearn for will be given to us through the Sabbath. And so I invite you and challenge you to rethink the Sabbath today. Have a great day and remember, do not just be yourself, be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.