The Sabbath and Service to God - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

“‘Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here’” (Matthew 12:5–6).

Seldom would any Christian today, even the most fastidious and rule-oriented among us, consider preaching, teaching Sunday school, leading youth ministry, or other similar work as profaning the Lord’s Day. Yet these activities require much time and effort—on Sunday. Likewise, the most scrupulous of the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ time viewed the priests as innocent of any Sabbath breaking, even though such men worked in the temple twice as hard as on other days. For instance, sacrifices offered on the Sabbath were actually double sacrifices, requiring double the work of offering the normal daily sacrifice (Num. 28:9–10; cf. Lev. 24:8–9).

In this encounter, Jesus embarrassed and upset the Pharisees by showing how inconsistent their legalistic logic was. But they were even more upset and angry when He told them that something far greater and more important than the temple was in their midst. This was somewhat of an oblique reference, but the Jews had no doubt that Jesus was referring to Himself and again claiming to be God (cf. Matt. 9:2–6; 11:3–5, 25–27).

Our Lord’s main purpose, however, was not to prove His deity to the Jewish leaders. It was to argue that, in light of that deity, He had the right and authority to set aside Sabbath regulation as He saw fit—even more prerogative than did David or the temple priests. And above all, no human traditions or customary ways of doing things could or should ever hinder genuine service for God.

Some may view this as saying that Jesus was flippant about the commandments of God, as if they weren’t actually that important and could be ignored if desired.

How would you respond to a person who saw an inconsistency in the meaning of this passage?

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Erika Kirk read a moving excerpt from Charlie’s book on the Sabbath: “Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life” - in front of Megyn Kelly’s audience over the weekend. The book will be released early next year.

God wants us to rest in Him, like a child…

https://youtu.be/1Jelk4_UcdE?si=lFpuOGioAIUYT0AP

And in light of that, it seems that Pastor Macarthur didn’t highlight the crux of Jesus’ encounter, which was the following point:

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

The Sabbath was made for our benefit, for our good, namely for us to relax. Resting was not meant to be an added burden, or an act of service on our part. It’s God gift to us, to give US a break.

So if giving us a break is God’s heart behind it; it doesn’t mean that there won’t be interruptions to the break…If a parent were in the middle of taking a nap, and their child wakes them up for help, that parent is not expected to respond with ‘sorry hun next time it’s the sabbath. maybe Monday?’ God doesn’t operate like that.

Below is the cover of Charlie Kirk’s book on the Sabbath, coming out in a few weeks. Erika Kirk read an excerpt during a Megyn Kelly event over the weekend, link in post above.

Charlie turned off his phone and all devices completely starting sunset on Friday and into Saturday night - making it a total day of rest and being off the grid. The idea being God set a rhythm in motion in Creation by resting on the 7th day and that this is the natural rhythm embedded in our bodies.

Plus in Christ, any and all burden of saving ourselves or others, and “saving the world” (as activists like Charlie were wont to do) through our mere efforts has left the picture. Jesus wants us to leave the main work to Him, and rest in light of that — like a baby. And of course there are exceptions when the break is interrupted. Jesus healed on the sabbath, so it’s not like taking a break means there won’t be interruptions…And those interruptions don’t condemn us..

In a way the sabbath ended with church on Sunday, the start of the week, as churchgoing is a work in and of itself. Pastor Macarthur arguably missed the main point — which is that the sabbath rest is for our benefit, and was God’s gift to us. It’s not about serving God, but resting in Him. Just as we trust in Him by faith.

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

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