30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 13 10-17 The nature of Christ 04 Understanding the Sabbath
📖 Luke 13:10-17
04Oct19 - *Understanding the Sabbath* - _Luke 13:10-17_ - Bible reading: _Mark 2:27-28_
_Luke 13:14-17 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day." (15) The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? (16) So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" (17) And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him._
We see in this incident that the ruler of synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed this lady, who was bent over because of a spirit of infirmity, for eighteen years. He ought to have rejoiced, instead he made this matter of religiosity and said that healing is a form of work and therefore healing should not be done on the Sabbath.
The law related to the Sabbath is given to us in _Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (9) Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (10) but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. (11) For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it._
As we read the law, we realise that the Sabbath cannot be understood without considering work. So, what then is the understanding of work?
Man’s work is given to us in creation, when God created man on the sixth day. _Genesis 1:26-31 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them._ Man and woman are unique and at the same time equal. They come together, complete the image of God and in the name, authority and as His stewards, execute God’s rule over all of God’s creation. Every field belongs to God and so work is not secular but a sacred trust from God. _(28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (29) And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. (30) Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. (31) Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day._
After completing His work, the Lord rested on the seventh day. _Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (2) And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. (3) Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made._
Work is not for our survival but a matter of stewardship and rest is to acknowledge God as the owner of all. This is the understanding of Sabbath.
*Thought to ponder*
```The right understanding of work and rest, will keep us stress free but enjoy life in all its fullness```