Jesus, Work, and the Sabbath
Nov 2, 2013 2565
I think it is very interesting that every time that Jesus speaks directly about the Sabbath in the Gospels, He is always talking about working. He never, ever talks about resting. If you want to see the Sabbath as Jesus saw, then this is a good place to start.
When Jesus talks about the Sabbath in the Gospels, He never ever talks about creation. When Jesus talks about the Sabbath in the Gospels, He never ever quotes the fourth commandment; it’s His enemies that bring this up. Read the passages for yourself. This should give us cause to pause and reflect on how we view the Sabbath ourselves.
For Jesus the Sabbath is a day that celebrates work. The Sabbath is a day that is all about work.
Now, the Sabbath was and is a day of rest. That’s what the commandment says. But the Sabbath is only a day of rest because it celebrates what? Work! The Sabbath is a day that celebrates the work of Jesus
When Jesus was accused of working on the Sabbath, when He healed the paralytic man at the Pool of Bethesda, Have gave a surprising answer. He replied (and I kind of imagine Him shrugging His shoulders as He said this), “My Father is still working, and I am working too.” (John 5:17.)
So for Jesus, what kind of work is the Sabbath all about? After another Sabbath healing, when Jesus had healed a woman in a synagogue who had been crippled for 18 years, Jesus said, “isn’t it necessary that this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for eighteen long years, be set free from her bondage on the Sabbath day? (Luke 13:16.)
For Jesus, the Sabbath was a day that celebrates the Divine work of liberation, mercy, and grace. Is that what the Sabbath means for you?
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