20 January 2026
Dear friends, the Pharisees criticize Jesus’ disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath, seeing it as work that violates the law. Jesus responds with a profound truth: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” God’s laws, including the gift of rest on the Sabbath, exist to promote human life, dignity, and well-being, not to oppress, starve, or burden us. Jesus reminds us that rules must serve people, fostering life rather than causing death, generosity rather than poverty. When laws become rigid idols, they lose their divine purpose. As followers of Christ, let us always place mercy and human need first. In doing so, we honor God’s true intention: life in abundance for all His children.
