January 21 2025: Bible Verse of the Day – The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath – Luke 6:1-5, Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28 – Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
1 While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
2 Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” – Luke 6:1-5, Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28
Catholic Readings For Today
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Year 2
Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Year 1
Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
Today’s Bible Verse of the Day Reflections
Jesus is angry with the Pharisees for innocently condemning the disciples for gathering and eating grains of wheat on the Sabbath.
Jesus had said so many times that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. The bone of contention here is who is greater, man or sabbath?
The challenge thrown to the Pharisees is, if someone was not supposed to work on the Sabbath, then why did the priests go to the temple to preach on the same sabbath? Why was it lawful for them and not for the rest of the people?
Christ clarifies that it is not the mere act of observing the sabbath that matters here, it is the intentions of the heart.
He says that if you do what is good in front of God on a sabbath, then that’s okay. This is because God wants us to do things out of love and mercy instead of just offering a sacrifice that is devoid of love and mercy.
Therefore, when the disciples gathered and ate the wheat on the Sabbath, then there was no sin because eating is good in God’s eyes.
Jesus also reminds the Pharisees that He is far greater than that temple and sabbath they were so engrossed with.
Jesus is the true God and so he has the powers over everything on earth. That is why he told them, “Something greater than the temple is here.”
Therefore, let us today stop dwelling so much on baseless procedures especially if they inhibit us from loving, serving, praising, and glorifying God.
Let us not be prevented from serving God by a technicality created by man. The martyrs rose above the legal and civic technicalities and praised God regardless of the wishes of evil men.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help us to rise above worldly procedures that may prevent us from loving, serving, praising and glorifying you.
You have told us that You desire mercy from us and not sacrifice. Please help us always praise you in whatever we do. Jesus, I love you. Amen.
Bible Verse of the Day in Pictures
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