A Proper Use of the Sabbath - Luke 6:1-11
Gladstone Baptist Church - 13/10/04
On your handouts this morning, I have a little questionnaire for you. It is a number of questions which I want you to answer. No one is going to look at your answers. No one is going to mark you right or wrong, but I want you to spend some time answering them here this morning.
Q1 - Do you make sure you have a rest each Sunday?
Q2 - Do you intentionally focus on God each Sunday?
Q3 - Would you be happy to play sport on Sunday?
Q4 - Would you be happy to work regularly on Sunday?
Q5 - Would you go to church on Sunday when on holidays?
Q6 - Do you think God would be pleased with how you spent your Sundays?
What is permitted and what is not permitted to do on a Sunday has been a hot topic for Christians for many centuries. In fact, it was a hot topic for Jews since the command to observe the Sabbath was initiated nearly 3500 years ago.
This morning I want to talk about a time when Jesus had a run in with the Pharisees. He was always seeming to get on their bad side wasn’t He?
Read Luke 6:1-11
Pray
The controversy that Jesus has on this occasion was regarding what is okay and what is not okay to do on the Sabbath. Before we look at this, it is worth looking again at what the Sabbath is all about
The Origin of the Sabbath Concept
The word Sabbath is from a hebrew root that means to CEASE OR STOP. It has the connotation of stopping what we are doing.
The first mention of Sabbath in Scripture is in Ex 16:23. The Israelites have just been led out of slavery and they are hungry in the desert. God wonderfully provides for them food in the form of manna and quails and here the instructions are being given to the Israel about the use of this food. Ex 16:23In
23 He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: `Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath (cease work) to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’ " 24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."
Every day the people were to gather enough food for that day, but the Sabbath was a different day - the ordinary, everyday chores were not to be done. It was to be a rest day, a holy day to the Lord.
It is an interesting practice to just adopt - Resting on the seventh day. I’m quite sure in days of slavery, there were not many rest days at all so where did it come from? It seems to follow God’s example in creation, though the word Sabbath is not mentioned here..
You will remember that God created for 6 days all that we see, but on the 7th Day he rested. Gen 2:3 says that
And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
God "rested". This is the word "Shabath" the Root that the word Sabbath comes from. It means to cease from work. For 6 days, God was busy creating. But on the 7th day, he stopped creating. He didn’t lie back sipping lemonade under a tree. But he stopped the work that kept Him busy for the previous 6 days.
Somehow this 7th day was a special day, different to any other. It was special or HOLY because God set it apart as different. If something is set apart for a special purpose, it is holy. Don’t get hung up on that word holy - it just means special, different, set apart for a special purpose. As Christians we are holy - not because we are perfect, no - but because we are set apart for God - we are special, different.
Because God made the Sabbath holy, it is holy. We don’t observe the Sabbath, to make it holy, but because it is already holy. Make sure you have grasped this concept - it is important.
In Exod 31:13-14 , we read God commanding the Israelites to observe the Sabbath.
`You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. - `Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you.
Note that it is not "observe the Sabbath so that it will be holy". No it is "Observe the Sabbath because it is holy". Note also whose owns the Sabbath. It is God’s. Don’t fool yourself, the Sabbath is a holy day because it is God’s Day and he has set it apart.
And so, following God’s example that first week of creation, it seems that the Israelites adopted a similar practice of making the 7th day special. In Exod 20, when Moses receives the 10 commandments, we see it popping up as Commandment #4.
EX 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Prohibitions for Sabbaths
A key to understanding this Sabbath command is the word Work. God says we can’t do any work. So what is the definition of work. There are a couple of words for ¡§Work¡¨ in Hebrew. This work that appears here is the word used of your OCCUPATION. Your work or business from which you gain a living. Everytime you find work outlawed in connection with the Sabbath commands, it is this word. This is the same word used of God¡¦s work at creation. His occupation in the first 6 days was creating the world and on the 7th day, he rested from it. This is not to say he didn’t do anything on the Sabbath, but he did different work.
There are a number of restrictions in the Bible related to what you could do on the Sabbath.
Ex 16:23 - No cooking of food
Ex 31:14 - No work (occupation)
Ex 35:3 - No fire in house
Num 15:32 - Not to Gather Wood
Neh 10:31 - No harvesting or Trading
Jer 17:21 - Carrying loads in and out of city gates
The Jews were so keen not to defile the Sabbath, that they put fences up around their lives to prevent them from coming near them. They formed definitions of work, carrying loads even walking. From the earliest rabbinical writings there are 39 categories of forbidden acts, (Mishnah Sabbath, 7:2).
Sowing
Plowing
Reaping
Binding sheaves
Threshing
Winnowing Selecting
Grinding
Sifting
Kneading
Baking
Shearing wool
Washing wool
Beating wool
Dyeing wool
Spinning
Weaving
Making two loops
Weaving two threads
Separating two threads
Tying
Untying
Sewing two stitches
Tearing
Trapping
Slaughtering
Flaying
Cutting hide up
Salting meat
Curing hide
Scraping hide
Writing two letters
Erasing two letters
Building
Tearing a building down
Extinguishing a fire
Kindling a fire
Hitting with a hammer
Taking an object from the private domain to the public, or transporting an object in the public domain.
All of these tasks are prohibited, as well as any task that operates by the same principle or has the same purpose. In addition, the rabbis have prohibited coming into contact with any implement that could be used for one of the above purposes (for example, you may not touch a hammer or a pencil). Travel, buying and selling, and other weekday tasks that would interfere with the spirit of Sabbath were banned and even today this continues with modern conveniences such as electricity and cars being banned for ultra orthodox Jew. Turning on or off Electricity would be prohibited because it serves the same function as fire or some of the other prohibitions. The problem can be solved, however, but using a timer, which automatically handles this task. The automobile is powered by an internal combustion engine, which operates by burning petrol and oil, a clear violation of the Torah prohibition against kindling a fire. In addition, the movement of the car would constitute transporting an object in public and in all likelihood the car would be used to travel a distance greater than that permitted, so driving a car is not permitted.
Jesus’ Example - Man should not be ruled by the Sabbath.
What Luke records in his gospel is that one day, Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field on the Sabbath. They were hungry and they picked off some ears of grain, rubbed them in their hands and ate them. In doing this, they were violating 4 rules. Picking the grain was reaping. Rubbing it in their hands to remove the grain was threshing. Getting rid of the stalks and leaves was winnowing and eating it was preparing food. Yes it was only a small amount, but Jewish law states that "He that reapeth corn on the Sabbath to the quantity of a fig is guilty."
The strict Pharisees ask (vs 2) "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." They knew the laws and Jesus did too.
Jesus’ response recalls a precedent that says that keeping ceremonial laws is not as important as keeping moral laws. He recalls that King David was fleeing from King Saul and he needed food for his men. He stopped to ask a priest for some bread, but the only bread available was the consecrated bread from the holy place. It was some of 12 loaves of "shew bread" that was replaced every Sabbath. This was consecrated bread and usually reserved for the priests alone, but David and his men take and eat it and God does not condemn them. Here a ceremonial law was broken to satisfy a moral need that someone was in need of food.
What Jesus is pointing out is that if God did not have a concern about David breaking a ceremonial law that God made, why would He have a concern about Jesus breaking a law which was man made.
In Mark’s account of this passage (2:27), Jesus makes the statement that "The Sabbath was MADE for man, not man for the Sabbath." The Jews had made the observance of the Sabbath so burdensome that no one could enjoy it. Jesus tries to remind the Pharisees why the Sabbath rest was commanded. There are 3 reasons -
1) The Sabbath as a GIFT
Firstly the Sabbath was meant to be a gift for all people everywhere. It was given for humanitarian reasons. In slavery, the people had no let up from work. God gave them the Sabbath so they could rest from work. I don’t know about you, but I just look forward to weekends so much. No one should have to work 7 days a week, we are not made for that and it is not healthy. The sabbath is an opportunity to rest & be refreshed. The command in Exod 20 was not just for the Israelite, but also for their animals, their servants and their visitors. It was meant to benefit the whole community - a day’s rest from their usual work.
2) The Sabbath as a MEMORIAL
The second reason for the Sabbath was as a memorial. It was firstly meant to remind the people of God¡¦s act of creation (Ex 20 & Ex 31) and His gift of redemption from slavery in Egypt (Deut 5:12-15).
3) The Sabbath as a SIGN
Thirdly, the Sabbath was instituted to be a sign of the covenant God established with Israel. (Ex 31) It was to be a sign to all people that the Israelites were holy (set apart). Remember that the Sabbath did not make the people holy, but was a sign that they were already holy. When Israel observed the Sabbath, they were confirming their commitment to the covenant and acknowledging that they were set apart for God.
Man was not made for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man as a gift, a memorial and a sign. And in the same way that we are not to be ruled by restrictions and prohibitions regarding what we do and don’t do on the Sabbath, Jesus is not to be ruled by them either. He says "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
Jesus’ Example - The Sabbath is for Doing Good not for Avoiding Bad
After this account, Luke records a similar conflict with the Pharisees. Jesus is in the synagogue, teaching and there was a man there whose right hand was shrivelled and needed healing. The Pharisees were watching to see what Jesus would do.
Jesus knew the thoughts of the Pharisees and teachers of the law and he asks them - "Which is lawful to do on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" No answer.
Matthew records a further question of Jesus - Matt 12:11-12 "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." What hypocrisy
Jesus then speaks to the man and heals Him which infuriates the Pharisees. The law that the Pharisees lived by was that general acts of healing could not be undertaken on the Sabbath. If it was a life or death situation, then you could do something, but this was definitely not life threatening. Jesus could have very easily asked the man to come and see Him tomorrow, but he didn’t. He healed him then and there.
I also find it incredibly interesting that Jesus didn¡¦t lift a finger to bring healing to the man. Did you notice that. What was his crime? Speaking!!! So the Pharisees were now saying that you can’t even speak on the Sabbath? Come on - what hypocrites. Even they would help a sheep or an oxen out if it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath - but they wouldn’t be willing to help a human by even speaking!
The Pharisees were so concerned to not do evil, that they had forgotten about the need to do Good. Jesus is reminding the Pharisees that not doing good, is equivalent to sinning. James 4:17 says ¡§Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn¡¦t do it, sins."
You want to please God? Stop sinning. You want to stop sinning? Start doing good.
It is interesting that this is not an isolated event in Jesus" ministry. Out of 29 specific accounts Jesus healing individuals. 5 of them were specifically said to be on the Sabbath. That means that the gospel writers recorded more healings on the Sabbath on average than on other days - it is clear that what Jesus is trying to communicate here is important. Jesus didn’t win any favours here by his behaviour, the gospel accounts tell us that after this encounter the Jews started to plot to kill Jesus.
Let me close with some practical suggestions for us on keeping our Sundays.
Application of the Sabbath
First I want to say that the New Testament does not anywhere cancel out the applicability of the Sabbath for us. Don’t be confused. We are not justified by keeping the law, but we still are called to obey the law. Paul writes in Rom 6:15 "What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" The 10 commandments still hold for us. We are justified by Christ’s death, but to be like Christ, we must seek to obey the law for Jesus obeyed the law.
So here are a few principles which may guide you as you work through how you should keep the Sabbath -
1) Remember that I said that the hebrew word for "work" refers to your employment or weekly business. This is what God wants us to stop. He wants us to put aside our own interests, our own wealth gaining endeavors for just one day and focus on him and his work. For those of you who need to work on Sundays, remember that the day of the week is not nearly as important as the principle of observing a Sabbath. For the Jews, the traditional Sabbath was Saturday. For the early church, Sunday became more significant than Saturday and so they gathered to worship God on Sunday. Old Testament people met on Saturday to commemorate the finish of Creation, New Testament believers met on Sunday to commemorate the finish of redemption. It doesn’t matter if your Sabbath is on Monday or Wednesday or Saturday - the important thing is that you have a Sabbath and have a day we rest from work.
2) Having said that we need to set aside a day for rest, we need to do as much work as possible on our other days so that we can reserve our Sabbath day for rest and worship. Don’t save all your housework or household projects for Sunday afternoon. Students, do your homework on Saturday rather than wait until Sunday evening. Billy Graham once said, "Jesus tells us it is OK to help our ox out of the ditch on the Sabbath. But, if your ox gets in the ditch every Sabbath, you need to either get rid of the ox or fill up the ditch." Some of you may need to fill up the ditch.
3) Limit your recreational activities on Sunday. It has been said that "we tend to worship our play and play at our worship." Playing any sport which requires you to frequently miss church on Sunday is not a good thing. It is a ditch that needs to be filled up. It really hurts me to say this but if your motorcycle regularly keeps you from being in church on Sunday, you may need to get rid of your motorcycle. The same goes for your boat, your golf clubs or your holiday home.
4) Jesus knew that helping people and doing good was not just lawful, but was to be encouraged. Spend your Sunday’s in service of others. Minister in the church, have someone over to lunch, go and visit someone who is not well or could not get to the service because of a physical incapacity. The list is only limited to your imagination. A word of caution - remember that part of the reason for a Sabbath is for physical rest too. Don’t be so busy that you don’t physically rest. That is an equally serious abuse of the day.
5) You need to make your attendance at Church a priority. I am always amazed by the number of people who get up on Sunday morning and have to decide whether they are going to attend services. Why is that? If you are at home and you are not ill you should be in the services. Why? Because one of the main reasons for the Sabbath is a memorial of the things that God has done for us. It is to worship Him and praise His name. I want to challenge you. If your excuse would not be good enough to keep you from work on Monday it should not keep you from church on Sunday. When one person is sick in the family no one ever thinks that the whole family has to stay home with them if it is on Monday, why does that work if it is Sunday.
The Sabbath was made for us, it is a day we can use to enjoy God and the blessings he has given us. It is a day we should use to do good and help those around us rather than be bound up in its rules and regulations. Today for many of you is your Sabbath. Make the most of it - Rest, spend some time with God, help others in need. It is a great gift, a wonderful memorial and a sign that we serve a loving God.
