Thursday - The Gospel According To Mark
Welcome to Daily Prayer. This week we are looking at five stories from Mark 2 through chapter 3 verse 6. We are looking at several questions that get asked and what they reveal about Jesus and his mission. Today we look at the question, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” How Jesus responds shows how human traditions cloud out and misunderstood the purpose of the law and how Jesus came to bring freedom. The Sabbath was made for man and Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. As we begin our prayer now, let’s quiet our hearts and minds before the Lord.
Lord I want to know you. I want to have ears to hear and a heart that is willing to respond. Give me a tender heart. Help me.
Help me not cling to my own behavior. My own understanding.
You are Lord.
You define me and you define my life. I give everyone and everything to you.
O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare you praise.
A Scripture reading from mark 2:23-28
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 And he 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: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”
27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
A Prayer of Adoration:
Lord Jesus, you came to bring us freedom and life. You are the great burden bearer. You came to remove the burdens off our backs and to bring us life. I thank you that you are the Lord of the Sabbath. You are the one that defines what obedience to God looks like. You are the one that defines who worship looks like. I love how you reveal the heart of the Father.
A Prayer of Confession:
Lord, I confess that I often turn your way into something heavy. I take the gift of following you and load it down with pressure, rules, comparison, and fear. I confess how easily I judge others to make myself feel superior. Forgive me Lord.
I measure obedience by performance instead of by love. Create a clean heart in me.
A Prayer of Trust:
Lord Jesus, you are the one with ultimate authority. We trust your authority and your way.
You show us how to rightly understand the Scriptures and you are the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
A Prayer of Intercession:
Lord, we pray for those who feel excluded, burdened, or crushed by religious rules and expectations. Free them with the truth of your gospel! Lord, draw them into the freedom you came and died to give us. For those who are worn out or burned out, would they find rest in you. You are the true rest for our souls.
As we listen to the passage again, let’s listen for a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit may want to say to you from todays verses.
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 And he 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: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”
27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.
And now Our Weekly Passage to Memorize together:
Mark 2:17
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Let’s pray the The Lord’s Prayer together as we close:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Your kingdom come
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread and
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever
amen
Over the next minute, I want to invite you to consider what it means for you that Jesus is Lord and has all authority.