What keeps us going when everything seems to be against us? Perhaps our life has collapsed around us: financial or professional failure, divorce, illness, tragedy, or depression. The author of Hebrews insists that there is always one important thing we can count on: God's absolute promise of loving-kindness and salvation. God will not go back on His word, and He sent Jesus as a sign of that promise. With that in mind, we are filled with hope and can face anything. God is for us, not against us, and God will never let us down.

Jesus and His disciples are in trouble for 'breaking the rules'. After all, it is the Sabbath, and they were doing what is forbidden: plucking grain for food. Jesus turns this little incident into an opportunity to teach people about God's true nature. The Sabbath, as with all rules, is to help us, not be a burden. The well-being and happiness of people is always uppermost in God's mind and heart. Rules and customs must be flexible and take the needs of people into account. How about us? What are we like in our religious attitudes? We are given opportunities each day to be compassionate and flexible as Jesus is. Let us not make our religion a form of bondage or idolatry, but something joyful and life-giving.