On
the Labor Day we have the reference of work in the gospel passage.
Jesus “works” on a Sabbath Day and cures a man with a withered hand. There is
no question as to the rightness or wrongness of the deed – and the scribes and
Pharisees deep down knew that. But, Jesus uses the scene to ask a much deeper
question: is it lawful to do a good deed on the Sabbath or an evil one? The
scribes and Pharisees were themselves “working on the Sabbath” in an attempt to
trip Jesus up. The answer is obvious here too. It is never Ok on any day to do
an evil deed. The scribes and Pharisees lose the argument and a little more of
their dignity and standing with the people.
As we consider “Labor Day” –
we reflect on the fact that “work” is a God-given right – given from the Day in
Paradise when God told Adam to till the
land and take care of creation. Every man (and woman) has the inherent
right to provide for their family’s needs from the rightful fruit of their
labor. And governments must come to treasure and value this inherent “right to
work” and provide for its existence in not only this, but all future
generations.
We thank all who do labor and
have labored to build the Kingdom of God – indirectly – especially in our
country – throughout the centuries – and especially the immigrants who came to
our shores to find work. We thank then our parents and grandparents among them,
who helped make out country strong – by being a nation built on hard-work,
intelligent know-how and the desire to ensure what was always better for their
families than what they had for themselves.
Let all the ends of the earth
sing the glory of God – who loves us and gives us all something to do, for
work, in building the Kingdom to come! Amen.
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