Sunday, December 1st, 2013

The Sabbath
-day of rest
-keep the Sabbath holy

The Sabbath can also be easily taken out of context.

The Pharisees were sometimes seen so negatively in the Bible because they were legalistic. They took the law and took it further than necessary. For example, with the Sabbath, they would say something like, "You can't walk on the Sabbath day" because this is considered by them to be work. However, Jesus went against this.




The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
John 9:13-16 (NIV)





Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath day. He was doing God's work. The Pharisees called Jesus a sinner because He made mud by spitting (technically doing work because Jesus made something) and therefore "didn't keep the Sabbath holy".

The purpose of the Sabbath is to rest because from Monday to Saturday, we should be giving it our all to others, and ultimately for God. The Sabbath day is a day to recognize how great God is, what God has done for you and your life, so we can go back and just give it our everything once again from Monday through Saturday. Sunday is the day when we can be refilled and regenerated by God spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Enjoying the Sabbath does not mean being lazy.

Do we understand/do God's work? Are we doing enough for God throughout the week?