SAINT ANTHONY, ABBOT (MEMORIAL)

The sabbath was made for man.

Jesus’ disciples must have been hungry, so as they walked through a field of grain, they picked the heads of the grain to eat. But some Pharisees objected. It was the Sabbath, and they considered it a violation of the “no work” rule. Jesus’ answer must have surprised them: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27). What did he mean?

Of course, Jesus knew that God had instituted the Sabbath as a commemoration of the seventh day of creation when he rested from the work of creation. From the time of Moses, it was a day to honor God and his deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). But Jesus also knew that the Sabbath was meant to be a blessing for the people. After six days of work, they needed a day to worship God and to rest from their labors.

The Sabbath is still meant to be a blessing for us. We are blessed every Sunday when we gather in worship to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection and to receive his Body and Blood. Our hearts are lifted up as we look forward to that time when we will enjoy an eternal sabbath of joy and celebration in the presence of the Lord (Hebrews 4:9-11).

But it’s good to be reminded that the Sabbath is also a day of rest. God gave it to us as a break from our daily routine so that we could refocus and reorient our lives around him and the people he has given to us. Resting on the Sabbath can help us mentally detach from the concerns of the week and experience peace. It might give us a chance to reflect on how God has been moving in our lives so that we can follow him more closely in the week to come.

Jesus said that the Sabbath was made “for man”—and that includes you (Mark 2:27)! So as you look ahead to the coming weekend, think about what you could do to set this day apart. How might you make it different from other days of the week? Perhaps you could spend a little extra time in prayer, or go for a walk, or enjoy a relaxing meal with loved ones. Whatever you decide, know that when you take the time to rest on the Sabbath, you will experience God’s grace and goodness.

“Lord, thank you for your sabbath rest.”

Hebrews 6:10-20
Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10
Mark 2:23-28