My Sundays are, as you can imagine, very busy days. I wake up fairly early, pretty ramped up for the day. I get to the office bright and early, going over the sermon again and again, then participate and enjoy worship (twice!), preaching, sometimes teaching Sunday school. The morning wraps up; and I’m tired, really tired. Sometimes we have Bible study in the evenings or have folks over after dinner, which leaves the afternoon…for sleep! I often don’t intend it, but taking a breather on a Sunday afternoon can quickly lead to snoozing. I can’t think of the last time I took a nap in the middle of the week, but Sunday afternoons? Out like a light.
I’m sure I’m not the only person who has a Sunday routine, something that we normally do on this day off. Of course, worship is central to our day, but what else? What else should a Sunday look like?
The Westminster Confession is a summary of our biblical faith and says this about the Christian Sunday: “[Sunday] is kept holy unto the Lord when men, after preparing their hearts and ordering their everyday affairs, not only observe a holy day of rest… but also are engaged in the exercise of public and private worship, as well as acts of necessity and mercy.” WCF 21.8. In other words, Sundays are good for worship, ministry to others, and “necessary acts” (which may or may not include sleeping!).
The question of how to best honor our Lord on the Sabbath day is not an idle one—in the Old Testament, keeping the Sabbath was a clear mark of one’s connection to the people of God. Numerous times in God’s Law a concern to keep the Sabbath holy is expressed, not the least of which is in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11. See also, Genesis 2:3; Leviticus 23:3; Exodus 31; Isaiah 58; Deuteronomy 5). One of the primary accusations leveled at the Israelite nation is their failure to honor the Sabbath day (Isaiah 56; Nehemiah 13; Ezekiel 20).
It is not surprising, then, that faithful Sabbath observance occupied the religious leaders of Jesus’ day; the Pharisees frequently cited the adherence to the Sabbath as central to faithfulness. And, surprisingly, this led Jesus and the religious leaders of His day into direct conflict. Numerous times throughout His ministry, the Gospel writers recount events where Jesus’ treatment of the Sabbath led to conflict with the Pharisees. And, frequently, it seems like Jesus instigated these interactions, almost like He was stirring the pot, trying to teach something that He knew would be controversial. See, for instance, this week’s passage in Mark 3.
If a correct understanding of the Sabbath is so important to Jesus, perhaps we should take it more seriously as well. What does the Sabbath mean? Why is it important to God, and why does Jesus observe the Sabbath as He does? In Mark 3, we get a glimpse into Jesus’ view of the Sabbath—let us gather together and explore this together!
