Reading for July 4 is Luke 6...
My thoughts on this reading...
We kind of forget that the Lord is indeed the one who created the sabbath for our benefit, and so often turn it into work rather than rest. God wanted His highest creation, mankind to rest, including resting in our relationship with Him, not depending on what we do, but on what He does and what He wants to give to us. We see the truth of that in Jesus' approach to the Sabbath in this chapter. Rather than getting hung up on minor things instead of enjoying what the Lord provided, or preventing good to be done, Jesus uses these opportunities to try and teach the religious leaders the truth about God's sabbath rest.
We then hear about the selection of the Apostles, including Luke's clear identification of Judas as a traitor. Then we get a section which is similar to Jesus' teaching in Matthew, though not in as much detail as Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. We might even say that Luke's is the abridged version of compared to the 3 chapters Matthew uses. I do really like verse 38, especially within the context of forgiveness. Often it gets taken out its context and people speak of how if we give, a good measure will be poured out, running over into your lap and they want to apply it to money, but I think the preceding verses point to the need to forgive and when we do, that forgiveness is shared with us and overflows. We also hear about a tree and its fruit and how the hear reveals itself for it gives witness what is going on there. Finally the chapter closes with the encouragement to build upon the solid foundation, which of course we know is the Lord!