Scripture:
“One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?’
Jesus said to them, ‘Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.’
Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath’!” Mark 2:23-28 (NLT)
Perspective:
Jesus upset the traditional religious order in his day. While picking grain from a field may seem inconsequential, the number of rules for the Sabbath on how much work could be done, steps could be taken, and things to be finished were so burdensome on the people. Jesus knew that the Sabbath was for people, and it didn’t come with all the rules that the Pharisees were imposing. While Jesus’ declaration about freedom for the Sabbath did not make him popular, he was setting an example for his followers. God created the idea of rest for people, so it could be used as a reset button each week. Jesus was taking back in that moment that which legalism had stolen. People needed rest, but they also needed freedom. One without the other wasn’t really rest at all.
What does your weekly day of rest include? You may feel fortunate if you get a day a rest once a month nonetheless every week! However, it is important for us to periodically evaluate how we are getting rest. For some, it may include spending time with family, church community, and doing something that you enjoy. Yet, it is easy for it to become another “catch up” day where we end up running into the new week just as tired and worn out as we were at the end of last week. Jesus is giving you the Sabbath for your good, but it is up to us what we do with that gift.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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About Hona Amer
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