MONDAY- 23^rd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME –C

I Reading: Colossians 1:24-2:3: I became the servant of the Church to deliver a mystery hidden for centuries.

Gospel: Luke 6:6-11: They were watching Jesus to see if he would cure a man on the Sabbath.

Jesus Teaches That Need Supersedes Religion, Lk 6:1-11

People have the tendency to institutionalize religion, to make it full of form and ritual, rules and regulations, ceremonies and services. Men, religionists and lay-men alike, are too often guilty of “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2Tim 3:5). This is the very point Jesus is making in this passage. The more important things in life to meet the needs of people.

1. The Sabbath (v.1): This is the very thrust of Luke: to show that religion and ritual must never be put before the needs of man (Mt.12:1).

2. Fact 1: Meeting man’s real needs is more important than religion and ritual (v.1-5)

a. The need: the disciples were hungry, so they picked grain

b. The opposition: The religionists became upset because a religious rule was broken.

c. The answer of Jesus: An illustration

1) David hungered

2) David overrode the religious rules to meet a need

d. The point: The Son of Man is as great as David-He is the Lord of the Sabbath

3. Fact 2: Doing good and saving life are more important than religion and ritual (v.6-11)

a. The need: A man’s right hand shrivelled

b. The opposition by the religionists

c. The question and challenge of Jesus

1) He perceived their thoughts

2) He challenged them to think honestly

3) He healed the man doing good

d. The point: To do good and to save life supersedes rituals

e. The religionists’ insane anger

Thought: Christ shows that human needs are far more important than religious rituals and rules. We are not to abuse, neglect or ignore religious worship and ceremonies. Sometimes, however, a real need arise that has to be taken care of immediately.

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