A NEW SUNDAY

When Jesus was leading His disciples through a corn field on the Sabbath Day He allowed them to pick ears of corn and to eat them.  The Pharisees saw Him do that and criticized Him for allowing His disciples to break the law of the Sabbath which taught the Jews that it was against the Law of Moses to do any work on the Sabbath.  Jesus rebuked them and said, "The Sabbath was not made for God but was made for man".

This illustrates the meaning of law.  There are still many laws which protect things and not the sacredness of people; this happens when some put more value on let's say keeping a golf course so perfect that there are rules which are passed which underlie that value that their golf course takes precedence over their members who pay sometimes huge dues to belong to that club.

We can also see this when church leadership esteems their denomination of greater importance than the people who attend the church.  Many times church leaders will stress the importance of building a bigger and better facility and drain the money of their people while leaving those who should be receiving help out in the cold.  Church buildings are not sacred; people are made in the image of God and they are the ones who need the ministry to look after them

In Bible times in the Early Church after Pentecost, there was so much concern for the widows and the poor that believers would pool their meager resources and divide up them among those who desperately needed help.  Than as the years went by, that ended and churches were being built and people were paid to minister and elders and deacons were appointed to take responsibility to maintain the property and to hire the minister who best suited their selfish needs.

Of course today Christians do not keep the Sabbath; but they keep Sunday as the day of worship.  But the question remains the same; which is more sacred, buildings and grounds, or people/

I often see this today when laws are passed to satisfy law suit; those with the most money are able to hire the best lawyers and to bribe those in authority and the poor are left defenseless.  Wealth usually receives the perks of societies and the lowest taxes and loop holes that the ordinary person can not afford to find.

This type of living has always angered a loving God who treats all people the same; there is no respect of persons with God.  He loves us all; the rich, poor, the winners and the losers.  It is a challenge to every one us to be mindful of this teaching and pray that we can become more faithful in this critical matter.