Day 23- From Sunday

"Then he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.'"

Mark 2:27-28

We went and got Katherine, Wes' little sister, from Philly yesterday, and then we came back and crashed, so this is yesterday's post.

I've thought often of what it means for the Sabbath to be made for people rather than people being made for the Sabbath. First and foremost, this clearly establishes people as more important than any festival or special occasion--even a God-ordained one. Yet it also means that the Sabbath is something we should observe, not some old, outdated law.

There are many, many rules for the Sabbath in the Hebrew Bible as well as throughout Jewish history. We aren't supposed to work, cook, walk farther than a mile, build a fire...and the list goes on. The most Orthodox Jews today won't turn on a light because that is the modern equivalent of building a fire. Most Christians do nothing more than go to church on Sunday--if that.

So how can I make the Sabbath be for me, rather than be a slave to the Sabbath? What constitutes work, and what is a pleasant observance of God's resting on the seventh day of creation? If I check my email and there is some work/school related matter, am I breaking the Sabbath? Should I take a walk, because it relaxes me and brings me closer to nature, God's creation? If I sit around watching TV all day, I am definitely resting, but is it the right kind of resting? Should I do nothing but read the Bible all day?


These are all valid questions, and issues we need to address as we try to properly honor God's day. I, for one, will definitely be taking walks, watching a little TV, and going to worship every Sunday. I am also going to start reading some of the Bible, and spend some time reflecting on God's work in my life.