A New Devotion - Missing the Forest (Mark 2:23-3:6)

Below is a copy and a recording of a new devotion. I hope you find it meaningful.

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Mark 2:23-3:6 [Contemporary English Version]

One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were picking grains of wheat as they went along. Some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!”

Jesus answered, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need? It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his followers.”

Jesus finished by saying, “People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.”

The next time Jesus went into the synagogue, a man with a paralyzed hand was there. The Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, and they kept watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath.

Jesus told the man to stand up where everyone could see him. Then he asked, “On the Sabbath should we do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone's life or destroy it?” But no one said a word.

Jesus was angry as he looked around at the people. Yet he felt sorry for them because they were so stubborn. Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his bad hand was healed.

The Pharisees left. And at once they started making plans with Herod's followers to kill Jesus.

Missing the Forest

There’s an old saying about missing the forest for the trees. And I’ll tell you, as I both look around and within, I think it’s true. You see, I think it’s incredibly easy to become so focused on minor issues or insignificant tasks that we absolutely miss the big picture. And let’s get real, isn’t this a problem we all face from time-to-time? I know that I do. Good night nurse, I’ve become obsessed with some problem or project and spent hours and hours working to get it just right. And even though what I produced has usually been pretty good, looking back, I might have accomplished so much more if I’d been able to step aside and see that I’d neglected some things that might have been far more important than the solution I found or the task I’d completed. You see, although I still forget it from time to time, the greater good often transcends the minute details. As a matter of fact, they may actually move in very different directions.

For example, take the passage I just read, you know, the one about Jesus and the Sabbath. You see, in both cases mentioned, the Pharisees focused on some very specific rules that were supposed to be followed on that holy day, regulations that the disciples violated when they picked grains of wheat and Jesus broke when he healed a man with a paralyzed hand. In fact, their obsession led these fine, religious people to miss the very purpose of the Sabbath itself, that it was and is a gift given to us by God for us to enjoy ourselves and to do good for others. The Pharisees missed this. As a matter of fact, Jesus’s decision to do something that was good on the Sabbath became the reason the most religious and moral people of their day sought to kill their messiah.

And I think that’s important for us to remember, because, as we go about living our lives, I think we need to be careful to avoid this Pharisaic trap and not just as it relates to the Sabbath. You see, in spite of the freedom about which the Apostle Paul wrote, Christianity can be burdened with rules and regulations. And even though our intentions in following them may be positive, our application and execute may actually cause us to miss this clear and emphatic command offered by Jesus Christ: 

Jesus answered, “The most important one says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.” [Mark 12:29-31, CEV]

In other words, as Christians, we should really guard against missing the forest for the trees.