Day 14…Mark 2:23-3:6

"Then [Jesus] said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28) 

Notes from the devotional:

• God set aside the Sabbath for the Israelites as a day of rest - “Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.” The Jewish nation were forbidden to do any work on the Sabbath, and they defined 39 prohibited actions!
• When Jesus and his disciples violated one of these 39 activities on the Sabbath by picking some wheat for food on the Sabbath, they were challenged by the rabbis – Jesus was in violation of the Law of the Sabbath. Jesus replied that the Sabbath was made for the benefit of man and, therefore, it was appropriate for his hungry disciples to be fed
• If Jesus’ words are to be applied for modern people, surely they mean that our times of rest from work should be lived in conscious recognition not only of the Creator who rested, but also of his Son who rose again
• Such recognition would lead to worship and service as a prime weekend activity
• this should not only serve to renew weary people after the struggles of the previous week, but also refresh them with spiritual energy with which to face the new week

My notes:

• I do not honor the Sabbath enough. Period. While today I am spending the evening in bible study, typically I am spending my Sundays catching up on work related stuff that I couldn’t get done during the week. Such disrespect of God and his Word. 
• It says the using the Sabbath not only of a day of rest but also as worship and recognition of God renews you from the past week but prepares you for the week ahead. Maybe I am always dreading the next week and never feel fully recharged from the previous week because I don’t use the Sabbath enough to worship and recognize God and his mercy and sovereignty in my life. Maybe if I did what he says, I would get what he says. Just like yesterday’s study, reverence for god leads to wisdom… Maybe honoring God has pretty good benefits too! Duh!

Personal challenge:

• How do you honor the Sabbath?
• Can you tell a difference in your life when you truly honor the Sabbath versus when you do not?

~~from The One Year Book of Devotions for Men (Stuart Briscoe, 2000)~~