阅读经文 

在这段经文中，耶稣因在安息日治病而陷入麻烦。宗教领袖们认为这是在安息日“作工”，而律法要求人们在安息日要歇了一切的工。安息日本是神赐给他们很好的礼物。但不幸的是，这种感觉，在一大堆因被视为“工作”而遭禁止的活动的情况下，消失殆尽。比如，这个故事中那个被医治的人仅仅因为拿着他的褥子就惹上了麻烦。

耶稣在安息日治病，宗教领袖们很生气，因为规则对他们来说比爱邻舍更重要。但耶稣在这里提醒我们，对神来说，怜悯比僵化的律法更重要。耶稣有医治病人的机会，祂抓住了这个机会来服侍，因为天父总是在建造祂的国度，无论今天是星期几。

这促使我们思考今天我们遵循的任何“规则”，是否限制了我们服侍神的能力。有没有什么地方是我们不愿意去的，有没有什么人是我们不愿意帮助的，或者有哪些时间是我们不愿付出的？如果是这样，我们是不是阻碍了彰显神的爱和关怀的途径呢？

In this episode Jesus finds himself in trouble with the religious authorities for healing on the Sabbath. They saw it as “working” on the Sabbath, the day on which people were commanded to rest from all kinds of work. The Sabbath was meant to be a good gift to God's people. But unfortunately that sense was lost under a mountain of rules against activities that counted as “work.” For example, the man who is healed in this story gets in trouble just for carrying his mat.

When Jesus heals on the Sabbath, the religious leaders get angry because their rules have become more important to them than love for their neighbor. But here Jesus reminds us that mercy is more important to God than rigid legalism. Jesus has an opportunity to heal, and he takes it because the Father is always working to build his kingdom, regardless of what day of the week it is.

This challenges us today to consider any “rules” we follow that may limit our ability to serve God. Are there places we are unwilling to go, people we are unwilling to help, or times when we make ourselves unavailable to others? If so, are we putting something in the way of showing God's love and care?