The Second Notorious Mystery
Our Lord’s disciples are challenged by the Pharisees for picking and eating the heads of grain. Instead of reprimand, Jesus reminds them of David and his men eating the reserved bread of offering. The problem here is that the Jewish leadership did not recognize the identity and importance of Jesus. He is the Son of David and the Son of God. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. After their expulsion from the synagogues, Jewish believers in Jesus became so aware of this truth that they transitioned their commandment obligation from the Saturday Sabbath to the Sunday Observance or Lord’s Day. The emphasis would now be upon the resurrection and our new creation in Christ. At these gatherings the disciples would celebrate the Lord’s Supper and share the bread of life. The Pharisees watched Jesus closely. When he healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, instead of praising God for his mercy and charity, their hearts were hardened and they plotted how they might kill him. Today we still emphasize the importance of keeping the Lord’s Day, but never at the cost of charity. While this includes participation at Mass, we must also live out our faith beyond the Church doors. Unlike certain Pharisees, we should not pretend to be saints on the Sabbath, and then show our true colors as devils during the rest of the week. Jesus would not allow them to hide the truth about themselves. That is why they felt Jesus had to go.
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