Pastor Slaughter
June 6, 2021
Pentecost 2
Text: Mark 2:23-27
Followers of Jesus Enjoy Sabbath Rest
Have you ever done something where one day it feels like work, that feeling where you have to do something…you don’t want to but you know you have to, and the very next day you do that same thing but it doesn’t feel like work…instead you enjoy it. You don’t feel like you have to do it but rather you want to. It brings enjoyment. For me that thing is cleaning. There are times where I just dread cleaning. The work… the time…the energy and effort. I would much rather be a lazy than have to clean. But other days I am all for it. I put my music on and really enjoy it. I love that feeling when it is all done and you see the finished product.
What’s the difference? It is the same kind of work. Why do I go from one day dreading it, to the next day enjoying it? Isn’t the difference in the attitude in which the work is done? One day I dread it, the next day I enjoy it. One day it feels like I have to and the next it feels like I get too.
What are our attitudes regarding God’s law? Is this something we have to do or get to do? Is it something that we reluctantly do because he says so in his word but we would rather be doing something else, or do we view keeping God’s law as something that brings us joy and gladness, something that is given for our good? Today we will be looking at one of those laws that God has given for our good. Our theme for today is Followers of Jesus Enjoy Sabbath Rest.
Now, the Pharisees thought they had Jesus. Finally found a charge that Jesus couldn’t possibly dispute. It was a Sabbath day. As the Jesus’ disciples were walking through the grain fields, and Jesus’ disciples began to pick heads of grain. And guess what? Jesus didn’t stop them.
The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath day?” In their minds, picking heads of grain to still hunger was equivalent to reaping, threshing, winnowing—all violations of the Sabbath. It does seem like they had a pretty good point. However, they had completely misunderstood and misinterpreted not only the Sabbath commandment, but also the rest of God’s law. With their additional laws, and rules, and regulations that were not found in Scripture, they turned Sabbath rest into a way of meriting heaven, completely misunderstanding the purpose of God’s law.
What do you think the Pharisees attitude was regarding the sabbath rest? Do you think they viewed it as something for their enjoyment? Or something that they were required to do? Do you think they viewed it as something they had to do? Or something that they got to do? With all the additional rules and regulations that they added to God’s law (and here to the Sabbath day rest) don’t you think they viewed it as something they had to do? With those additional laws and rules and regulations, it was like they were saying, “God if you require this of me, I am going to go above and beyond what you say so that you are happy with me.” It was like they were taking God’s law and treating it like they were doing a favor for God by keeping God’s law.
How do we view God’s law? On the one hand, I understand where the Pharisees are coming from. Sabbath rest was commanded by God. It is a law. And because it is a law, it is something we have to do. It isn’t a suggestion that you should strive to do this. No. This is what you are to do. But how do we view keeping that law? Is this something that benefits God, or us? Did he give us his law to fill some part of God’s life that was missing? Or did he give us his law for our benefit? It was for our benefit. And if he gave us his law for our benefit, then what should our attitude be towards that law? It changes from simply a have to, to a want to.
God gave us his law for our benefit. The Pharisees were treating God’s law as something that was done simply for God’s benefit and thus meriting salvation. How do you view God’s law? What is your attitude towards it. Is it a burden or a joy? A have to or want to? I think sometimes it’s like a teetertotter. Where at times it brings us joy to keeps God’s commands, and other times I think we feel like it is a burden. Where at times we may feel like we miss out on something because God tells us not to in his word. But when that happens and God’s law feels like a burden and we keep his law, in our minds is it like we are doing a favor for God? Where it almost seems like God should repay us because we are doing or not doing something that we want?
I think this Sabbath day really illustrates that point. The Pharisees turned the Sabbath rest into a work. The Sabbath day has two elements of God’s law. One: his moral law. The Ten Commandments that he gave us. That moral law should not and cannot be broken. However, this action of the disciples was not a part of the moral aspect of this law, but it fits on the second part of it, God’s ceremonial law, all of those rules and regulations that he gave the nation of Israel to set them apart from the other nations. There were situations where God’s ceremonial law was broken to keep God’s moral law of loving your neighbor. Jesus points us to one of those instances.
David and his men were fleeing King Saul, who was looking to take David’s life, appealed to Ahimelech the priest for rations for himself and his men. Since only the bread of the presence was available, Ahimelech gave 5 loaves to David which wasn’t lawful to eat except for the priests. He recognized something greater was a stake than just a matter of outward regulations. Ahimelech and David weren’t reprimanded by God for what they did.
Jesus in effect said to the Pharisees, “Evidently you haven’t really read this Scripture and considered the principle laid down here. Neither David nor Ahimelech was condemned. Human need is of higher consideration to God than religious ritualism.
How do you view God’s third commandment: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy? Jesus came and fulfilled God’s Law perfectly. He has done away with all of the ceremonial laws and we are no longer bound to them like nation of Israel was. So we have freedom as new testament believers. We have freedom on which day we observe this rest. We can work on the sabbath day. But God’s moral remains. Remembering the sabbath day and keeping it holy.
The Sabbath law was not made to enslave man but to give rest (the very word sabbath means rest)-both physical and spiritual. Remember how God gives us his law for our good? The chief benefit of the rest day for us is the opportunity it gives the Holy Spirit to work faith in us by the proclamation of his Word.
And Jesus did say, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” But at times do we feel like we are almost enslaved to it? Waking up after a long week, getting the kids ready, driving to church, standing up and sitting down, singing and spoken responses, trying to keep the kids quiet in church (when it’s impossible to even do that at home) or trying to stay awake when Pastor Slaughter is preaching. It doesn’t seem like rest but work and when it feels like work, does worship feel like a have to? Or a want to? And when we make it a work, does it seem like we are doing God a favor because it would be easier for us to stay at home?
Followers of Jesus enjoy Sabbath rest. How do we transition from dreading it to wanting it? Form something that we simply have to, to something we get to? We remember what the Sabbath pointed ahead to. The true spiritual rest we have in Jesus. When the burden of sin weighs on our hearts and minds, Jesus gives to us rest through the forgiveness that he won for us. Not something that we earned by keeping his law but by his grace. When we see what Christ has done, when we are reminded of all that he has done for us, that changes our attitude from the have to into a want to.
Remember that God made Sabbath for man. He gave it to us for our good. Will there be times where you might not remember what was spoken in the sermon? Yes, that’s going to happen. It’s like eating. You may remember what you had yesterday for lunch but what about week ago, a month ago. Yet that meal still nourished you. The same is true when we hear God’s word proclaimed. But the Spirit is work through his word nourishing our faith.
What gets us off of the couch and into the pew? We remember that God gave us the Sabbath for our eternal good. If I was to give you $50 right now. You would say that it is a blessing. Then I would give you another and another, would say that it is too much of a good thing? Same is true with worship. When we start to view it and recognize the gift God gives us by keeping this law, it changes our attitudes. It changes from have to, to want to, from dreading it, to enjoying it. Followers of Jesus Enjoy the Sabbath Rest.