Daily Devotional for Tuesday, September 5

Jesus and the Sabbath

“And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?” Mark 2:23, 24.

A father and son arrived in a small western town looking for an uncle whom they had never seen. Suddenly, the father, pointing across the square to a man who was walking away from them, exclaimed, “There goes my uncle!” His son asked, “How do you know when you have not seen him before?” “Son, I know him because he walks exactly like my father.” If we walk in the Spirit, the world should know us by our walk.

God gave the Law to point us to Him and to shape our hearts’ desires to match His. Sinful man could never keep the Law, but by seeking to obey we could know the heart of God and learn to live in a manner that pleases Him. A child of God should be known as one who lives for Him and loves what He loves.

The Pharisees had become proficient in missing the spirit of the Law and applying the weight of the Law in order to oppress people within their religious construct. The Law of Moses was meant to point us to the Messiah and reveal our inability to perfectly obey a Holy God. Yet the Pharisees had grossly twisted the Law by imposing harsh rules and missing the weightier matters of the heart.

The Sabbath was a gift from God to offer rest to His people. Tragically, the Pharisees, those responsible for ministering the Word of God, had turned the Sabbath into a beast of burden. 

FINAL THOUGHT: The laws of God are meant to soften our hearts toward Him. May we never be guilty of imposing burdensome rules that stand in the way of a healthy relationship with God.

Steven Ridings