April 11

The Sabbath

Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. — Mark 2:27 BSB

The Sabbath wasn’t made for man as a rigid law to be observed at all costs. It’s as natural a law for humans as the need for sleep each night. The Sabbath was made for the benefit of our physical nature. It’s been proven time and again that the body needs the Sabbath. But it was also made for our spiritual good, giving us time not only for physical rest but also for communion with God, when the noise of work and business has ceased. The Sabbath was designed to promote our well-being in every way. All of history shows that wherever the Sabbath is kept, people are blessed, and wherever it’s broken, people suffer.

Jesus clearly showed, through his teaching and example, that the Sabbath wasn’t meant to be a burden. Although secular work is forbidden on the Sabbath, it’s not wrong to prepare food to satisfy hunger or to rescue an animal in distress or to heal a sick person. There’s little need today to argue this point—few people are inclined to make the Sabbath a heavy burden. The tendency today is to go too far in the other direction.

It’s important to understand what Jesus taught about the Sabbath. He never intended it to be oppressive. Works of necessity are permitted, even if they seem to go against the letter of the law. Acts of mercy and kindness are also permitted. But we shouldn’t try to use Jesus’ teachings to justify running trains, keeping stores open, or allowing the endless stream of secular activities that people want to bring into the Sabbath.