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Leg 1 Day 55
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE LIST
Jesus With Us
Scripture:
Matthew 12:1-8 (NLT)
At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”
Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is One here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned My innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”
See also Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5
Life Lessons from Jesus:
The religious leaders in Jesus’s day were more concerned about making rules and following them than they were about spending time with God on the Lord’s Day. To them, the Sabbath was all about sticking to intricate rules, down to the tiniest footnotes—which ended up creating many ways for people to fail but failing to help people build a relationship with God. Relationships are built through spending time together.
The Pharisees didn’t understand the Sabbath (Jesus’s day) because they didn’t know Jesus—which is why they dared to reprimand Him about the way He chose to spend this day.
Remember that the Sabbath is simply a day to rest with God. There’s no list to follow. There aren’t checkboxes you need to fill to appropriately observe your Sabbath. Lose the list and do what brings you closer to God, whatever that is. Don’t let anyone tell you how to go about it properly. Just spend time with Him.
The WAY:
Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:
How has observing the Sabbath changed over time?
In what ways did Jesus’ teaching about the Sabbath signify a shift in thinking?
What did Jesus mean when He quoted the Old Testament by saying, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices” (Matthew 12:7 nlt; see Hosea 6:6)?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for valuing me, my life, and spending time with me more than You value my living up to specific standards. Thank You for breaking those standards by coming down to earth to be with us. I know that all days are Your days. Help me to spend them in Your presence in a way that resonates with my soul. In Your name, amen.