One of our Lenten practices as a family this year has been to read the Gospel of Mark together. This has been uplifting, but also occasionally hilarious.
One day last week, we were reading Mark 2 out loud and talking about how the last bit is kind of strange:
“As he was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath? … Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”
This is an unexpected response. It seems like he could have said, “Relax! – it’s just wheat. Quit being so uptight, Pharisees.” Instead, he makes this startling claim that gets him into huge trouble later on.
Now, I think this is interesting, and I wanted the children to see it, too, but I wasn’t sure that they really were paying attention.
The next night, we were eating Chana Masala, which is recipe-talk for “curried garbanzo beans.” Naomi was working slowly at her food. “Keep eating your beans,” I repeated. After 3 or 4 times, she turns to me and says,
“Quit picking at me!
I am lord even of the beans!”
My jaw totally dropped. She then burst into laughter, and then we all did. It was awesome.
Clearly, someone was listening to the Gospel!
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