Daily Worship

WORK, UNEMPLOYMENT & UNDEREMPLOYMENT

September 20, 2013 0 0

John 5 : 15-21

The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Sonand shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

Christ the Worker,

You worked because you saw your Father at work.

You earned your living through hard, physical labour 

and by the exercise of well-honed skills.

Then, in a ‘second career,’ you worked every bit as hard 

—through the craft of your storytelling, 

—through the passion of your preaching,

—through the depth of your insight,

—through the compassionate long hours of your healing ministry,

—and through your total commitment to the task set before you 

by your Father in heaven.

 

Christ the Master Carpenter,

you called disciples to be your apprentices,

setting before them the perfect example

that they might watch and learn 

and then do what you had done.

 

And so, Lord Jesus,

whether it is in the business of earning a living,

or being about our heavenly Father’s business,

help us to honour the dignity of work,

to challenge systems that exploit human labour 

and those that reward idleness,

as well as those that make people feel worthless by depriving them of the opportunity to work in order to earn a living wage.

And may all our work be done with all our heart,

as serving you.

-

Iain Cunningham
Kirkton Church, Carluke