"One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?" And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the Sabbath.""
- Mark 2: 23- 28
The sun streams down upon the disciples of Jesus who pluck and bruising grain in their fingers to ease their hunger. Lord Jesus’ fingers brush against the shafts of grain. He hungers for his people, he thirsts to gather his people into his Father’s barn. The fields of grain are white and ready for the sickle, the thrashing floor is being swept, the winnowing fan being made ready, and the millstone groans in anticipation. How greatly does Jesus hunger, how greatly does he desire for his body to be bruised and his people be fed with the finest of wheat. How greatly does he desire to gather them in -- how greatly does he desire to pour himself out. Jesus watches his disciples and smiles for, though they are unaware, they foreshadow a great many things. Man has been created as a priest, all of creation groans for him to make it anew. It is their work and the Son has incarnated into it in order to make their work his and his work theirs. The sun bakes down upon the Bread of Life-- how he hungers to break and share his bread with his starving disciples. A Pharisee who is traveling with the Teacher distracts him from his thoughts.
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