Today’s Devotional Theme What Happened to Sunday?
Daily ScriptureMark 2:24, 27
“And the Pharisees were saying to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ … And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’”
Encouragement
The land of Israel, as secular as it has become, still takes very seriously the 24-hour Jewish Shabbat that begins at sundown Friday evening and ends at the same time Saturday evening. If you’re shopping in the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem early Friday afternoon, you’d better get a move on, because shop owners start getting ready to shutter their businesses by about 4 pm. The sidewalks basically roll up (not literally, of course) and preparations are made in homes and synagogues for Shabbat observances. It is a time for family and quiet reflection. Although the day, Sunday, is different, 150 years ago the Sabbath (the word comes from the Hebrew Shabbat) was a big deal in America. Typically people converged on the community church early Sunday morning, coming in carriages, on buckboards, and horseback, bringing food for a potluck picnic after service. It was a leisurely affair of conversation, renewing acquaintances, and sharing thoughts on the sermon. Then they stayed on until late afternoon for community singing and worship. Sunday was the one day of leisure out of the week, a sorely needed break from the toil of eking out a life from the land or working in the blacksmith’s or shoemaker’s shop
Apply God’s Word
Although it works for many – and sometimes I’m just a little envious – I don’t think God is calling us to maintain a full-blown Jewish Shabbat. Nonetheless, God mandated a day of rest, preferably each week, for our spiritual and physical benefit. Today, in our hurly-burly world, many of us don’t put in the physical labor that our five-times-great grandparents did. But whether we labor physically or mentally, most of us have a job (or jobs) or are rearing kids and perhaps home-schooling them. We all need a break. Our Sabbaths don’t have to be on Sunday. God will honor any day that works best. Regardless of when, we all need that respite from our daily doings – to reflect on Sunday’s message, to meditate, to renew.
Come into His Presence
Lord God, I thank You for encouraging us to take a day of rest regularly. You know we need it. Seven days of work, week after week, can take a terrible toil on our bodies and minds. Thank You for insisting we rest. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
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