JULY 8, 2023 – LORD OF THE SABBATH

READ: Mark 2:23-28

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.                          – Mark 2:27,28

It is the Sabbath, a day of rest, and Jesus is on his way to the synagogue with his disciples to preach. The road passes through the wheat fields and the disciples pick some ears of corn as they walk and eat the grains. This is allowed, especially if they cannot provide for themselves (Deut. 23:25). 

But the Pharisees see this and object. They have their own rules about what is and is not allowed on the Sabbath, in addition to God’s commandments. They forbid what they see the disciples doing and much more, enforcing compliance with their rules and making the churchgoers weary, turning the Sabbath from a delight to a torment. Jesus has let his disciples do as they please. Does this make him guilty too? 

But Jesus refers the Pharisees to Scripture where it reveals what David did with the showbread. This bread was dedicated to God, but when it had served its purpose it was replaced. The old bread could then be eaten by the priests as God’s servants. When David and his men were hungry during a visit to Nob, he asked for this bread (1 Sam. 21: 1-6). They were also in the service of the Lord, were they not? The priest Ahimelech rightfully granted them permission, with the caveat that they had to be holy: they had not been with women. 

Now comes Christ, the Son of Man, the Anointed One of the Lord, greater than David. Do he and his men not have the right to this bread, which is meant for the servants of God’s house? The Pharisees have lost sight of the reason for the Sabbath, which is for the benefit of humanity, and for worship as a service of atonement. Christ is the true Atoner and Lord of the Sabbath.

How do you spend your Sundays? What is important about it?

Singing: Ps. 92:1,2