My reflection is from Living Faith:
Jesus said to him, “Do you want to be well? …Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”… So the Jews said…, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” John 5:6, 8, 10
“If I were rushing someone to the hospital in my car, I might never wait out a stoplight at an empty intersection. Some laws, if followed to the letter, might do more harm than good. Others prove to be unjust, as did previous laws allowing slavery in years past. When religious leaders in today’s passage nitpick Jesus about the sabbath they’re not exactly wrong, but they’re missing the point. Sabbath rules were meant to uphold it sanctity, but what is holier than the healing power of God?
Rules matter. If we knowingly break them, we should be prepared to accept the consequences. Yet we must also be mindful of whom and what our rules are meant to protect. We must examine them in light of our Lord’s greatest commandments.
Lord God, help us to uphold rules that support love for you, our neighbors and ourselves.” Karla Manternach