The Lord of the Sabbath

In Mark 2-3, Jesus is confronted by a controversy that we really no longer deal with: the Sabbath and keeping it holy.

In Jesus’ day, they had lists and rules of what you could and could not do, from how far you could walk to what animals you could rescue if they got hurt on the Sabbath. Growing up in the South, I remember we couldn’t go to the movies on Sunday, but we could go out to eat or watch Wonderful World of Disney. We could play in the backyard but couldn’t go over to a friend’s house to swim.

What made one acceptable and the other one not? I have no idea. As a kid, I figured the adults had this elaborate, complicated system all worked out. I figured it had something to do with church and God, but beyond that it appeared to be all haphazard.

Turns out, I wasn’t all that wrong.

The religious people of Jesus’ day had the same issue. And to this, Jesus says something particularly astonishing.

He says ‘I am the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man, man wasn’t made for the Sabbath.’

Part of Jesus’ answer is easy to understand – Sabbath was made for man. In other words, the day wasn’t created to serve as a way to control over mankind. The day was created to serve mankind, as a day of reconnecting with their Creator. It wasn’t made to add to the lists of do’s and don’ts. It was made to give mankind a pattern, a rhythm of work and rest. It was a gift. Over the years, man has turned it into something else.

I understand that part of Jesus’ answer fairly well. It’s the first part that actually creates a bit of disturbance.

We really need to see the phrase “I am the Lord of the Sabbath” as another one of Jesus’ ‘I am’ statements. I am the bread of life. I am the way, truth, and life. I am the light of the world. I am The Lord of the Sabbath. It’s actually the more bold and more in-your-face of these statements.

What Jesus is saying is – there is NO Sabbath without Him. There is no REST without Jesus.

Think about that for a moment. There’s no peace… no contentment… no rest. Without Jesus.

May we remember these words when we seek rest, peace, and contentment and don’t find it. May it drive us back to the Lord of the Sabbath.