One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’” vss. 23-24
Mark 2:23-28
There was a time when faith communities encouraged believers to observe the Sabbath by refraining from work on Sundays. Obviously there were some things that needed to be done, e.g. taking care of livestock and preparing meals, but in general the Sabbath was honored. There was a totally different feel to the day. In recent years however there has been a significant shift in Sabbath habits and practices. Since most businesses are open on Sundays, large numbers of people are required to work–and even when people have Sundays off, the day is used mostly for recreation or leisure. But not everyone goes golfing! There is still a significant number of people who choose to honor the Sabbath with worship–even when they go on vacation! They do it not only to meet spiritual needs, but as a significant act of testimony in our mostly secular world. There really is no better way of bearing witness to our faith than by “going to church.” In Jesus’ day Sabbath keeping was important for Jewish identity–that’s why they made such a big deal of it. To a large extent it has the same importance for followers of Jesus–especially when it has pretty much ceased to be practiced in our culture.
Thought for the Day: How do I keep the Sabbath?
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