Catherine Washington

Matthew 12:1-8 (The Voice)
The Sabbath came, and Jesus walked through a field. His disciples, who were hungry, began to pick some of the grain and eat it.

2 When the Pharisees saw this, they reacted.

Pharisees: Look! Your disciples are breaking the law of the Sabbath!

Jesus: 3 Haven’t you read what David did? When he and his friends were hungry, 4 they went into God’s house and they ate the holy bread, even though neither David nor his friends, but only priests, were allowed that bread. 5 Indeed, have you not read that on the Sabbath priests themselves do work in the temple, breaking the Sabbath law yet remaining blameless? 6 Listen, One who is greater than the temple is here.

7 Do you not understand what the prophet Hosea recorded, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”? If you understood that snippet of Scripture, you would not condemn these innocent men for ostensibly breaking the law of the Sabbath. 8 For the Son of Man has not only the authority to heal and cast out demons, He also has authority over the Sabbath.

Reflection:
It is the beginning of baseball/softball season and that seems to have overtaken our home and family schedule. Everywhere I look are bats, bags, cleats, and gloves. When we try to make plans right now, our first reaction is to check the calendar in case of practices or games. Our children are young, so some players on a team are playing for the first time, while others have older siblings and have been playing catch in the yard for what must be decades. To say the skill levels vary is an understatement. Coaches are patient, repeating themselves over and over to “keep an eye on the ball” and just “throw to first.”

Our family was at the ballfields on a recent weekend watching our son play. It was not a close game and our son’s team was getting discouraged and frustrated by their own lack of scoring and field savvy. The other team was just better. They hit better, fielded better, and the catchers caught from the machine better. As the innings dragged on, our players started to snip at one another, saying, “Why didn’t you catch that?” or “Why weren’t you watching?” The coaches gently repeated their reminders to keep cool heads and stay in the game. It’s tough to do when you’re young and there are moths flying around the field lights, I’m sure. 

Coaches of young players seem to be the embodiment of Jesus’s exhortation of mercy, sometimes translated as “loving-kindness”. Yes, there are teachable moments. Yes, we want players to improve on their skills. But mostly we want them to care for each other and enjoy the game. Our son’s coach sent an email after the game praising the effort and asking us each to talk to our sons about showing one another mercy and patience. Jesus reminded the Pharisees that God cares more for mercy than for sacrifice, and we are to show one another that same mercy and grace. The comfort is that God sends the Holy Spirit to help us do that. All we need to do is ask and we become vessels for His mercy. 

Prayer:
Merciful God,
Help me to show your mercy today in my interactions with family and friends. When I want to prove a point, slow me down and remind me of all of the ways you have shown me grace and forgiveness. Let me be a light of loving-kindness in the world. Amen.