Breaking the Sabbath-Part 2

Last week I started posting about my journey to observing the Sabbath every week.  The process of eliminating certain things from my life has begun so that my time is best utilized doing the things I was created to do.  I believe we live in a day and age where rediscovering the practice of the Sabbath is a necessity.  Understand that I am writing from the viewpoint of a pastor where Sunday is not a day of rest. It’s usually one of the busiest days of the week. The point of all of this is to have a set aside, holy, Sabbath day every week regardless of what it happens to be.
In Jewish law, there were 39 categories of activities that were prohibited on the Sabbath. Each category had subcategories and so on and so on. By Jesus’ time, the focus was more on these rules and regulations rather than God’s original commandment. These prohibited things from weaving to tying a knot to putting out a fire to picking the bones out of a fish. The original intent of these laws to to remind people of the things that they would do on a normal day and the Sabbath was all about taking a break from the norm. Over time, the rules and regulations grew to where most common folks could not keep up. The religious leaders of the time used their ability to adhere strictly to the law(and find loopholes when they couldn’t) to lord over the others. So, when Jesus says in Mark 2:27-28:

²⁷Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

He is tearing down some major walls.  One, He is telling the people that they have lost sight of the true purpose of the Sabbath.  It was a lot of work to remember what you weren’t supposed to do on the Sabbath!  Two, He is chastising the religious rulers for using their man made rules and regulations to rob the common folk of their God given rights(dude, my toes are really hurting right now).  The Sabbath is all about liberation.  It’s not about being confined.  It’s about being set free.

So, what sets you free?  What makes you feel like you’re alive?  The Sabbath isn’t about being reminded that you’re human.  It’s about being reminded that you’re divinely created in the image of God.  In a day and age where we spend so much time “working for the man” the Sabbath is that weekly reminder that we are God’s “workmanship” and created for a higher purpose(Ephesians 2:10).  Part 3 next week, but while you’re waiting check out these posts from Eric Ebbinghaus, Tim Stevens and Dr. Martin Labar.  Eric is a fellow Wesleyan Youth Pastor who is currently taking his students through the 10 commandments.  Tim recently posted on a digital detox his family was taking.  Dr. Labar is a former professor at Southern Wesleyan University and one of the finest and funniest men I know.  Do yourself a favor and subscribe to their blogs.

Currently Reading:

A Blueprint for Discipleship: Wesley’s General Rules as a Guide for Christian Living By Kevin Watson Watson offers a concrete and practical approach to Christian discipleship that is distinctly Wesleyan. His approach builds on the foundation of the General Rules-do no harm, do good, and practice spiritual disciplines-combined with the exercise of small-group accountability. Watson shows that John Wesley’s method of discipleship is both simple and profound, and can help you develop a faith that affects every part of your lives.