Mark 2:27 & Mark 3:2 - Who Is Sabbathing Right? (Bible Journal)
“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27 NLT)."
"Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath (Mark 3:2 NLT)."
The Pharisees misrepresented the purpose of the Sabbath by trying to get Jesus in trouble when He "worked" on the Sabbath, including healing work he performed on Sabbath days. I believe the purpose of the Sabbath is God calling for us to rest by replenishing our souls, ultimately looking to Him for the credit of refreshing us. Doing things that benefit others that could qualify as work shouldn't be looked at as breaking from that rest, but should be seen for what they are: taking action in ways that replenishes and refreshes our fellow brothers and sisters, which ultimately benefits us too, since God wires us to get refreshed and restored when we help someone. On a humorous side note, the example in Chapter 2 has the Pharisees criticizing Jesus' disciples for breaking off the heads of grain to eat, claiming that they are going against the Sabbath by harvesting grain (Mark 2:23-24). Yet the Pharisees are also working by being out and about flexing their power by judging, instead of not working like they claim people should be doing on the Sabbath. How about that irony?
Lord, thank You for the gift of the Sabbath, and for continuing to teach me the proper way to perceive and celebrate it. Please help me to honor You not only on my own Sabbath days, but on every day in my walk with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.