Written by Mark Driskill:
Read Mark 2:23-28
Okay so here we see Jesus and his disciples enjoying a nice Saturday afternoon walk through a grain field. Some of the guys become a little hungry and snap off a piece of grain to munch on. (Maybe this was the predecessor to eating your Wheaties… or not.) Suddenly a couple of Pharisees jump out with pointing fingers, and the zeal of Barney Fife
shouting, “Aha! We caught you! That is a violation of Sabbath code 301c, paragraph four section sixteen, which clearly states, no grain picking on the Sabbath!” First of all I want to ask just how long those Pharisees had been hiding in the wheat field and spying on the disciples. I guess some people have nothing better to do with their lives than to crawl around looking for somebody to accuse or criticize. Jesus digs a piece of grain from his back teeth and reminds the Pharisees that even King David experienced grace in regard to the finer points of the law when he and his men were in need.
The Pharisees, like most legalists, had forgotten the purpose of the Sabbath law. It was given that we might have a day in the week to rest and worship. God gave us this day to be a weekly time of renewal and reflection. How cool is that? But the Pharisees had turned it into the most stressful day of the week with all their regulations and qualifications. Leave it to legalists to take a nice restful afternoon and turn it into a religious exercise.
As a child growing up I often heard rigorous debates about what you can and cannot do on the Sabbath. Can you play cards, go to movies, go out to eat, or pick tomatoes? I remember being wrestled into my Sunday best and scolded in the car on the way to church about how still I’d better sit, and how much trouble I’d be in if I dared to fall asleep during the sermon. Didn’t seem like much of a day of rest to me. That’s too much protocol for a six year old. For too many believers the Sabbath is anything but restful. It’s so filled with regulation and posturing no wonder so many would rather head out to the lake than go to church. Maybe the “heathens” who go boating on Sunday have a better idea of the Sabbath than many of us in church. They rest while we wrestle. I’m not saying we shouldn’t go to church on Sunday, I’m just wondering why we have to turn it into such a chore. Is all the posturing and putting on really God’s will? Would Jesus spend his Sabbath stressing out over how he looked or what he could and could not do after church? Would he be afraid to go out into his garden and pick tomatoes for fear that someone might criticize him? I don’t think so.
Maybe this Sunday we should all take a walk with Jesus through a grain field and sing praises to God. I think if we really allowed Jesus to be Lord of the Sabbath we would find fewer people staying home from church because, as they often say, “It’s my only day to rest.” I think we need to reconsider the Sabbath. It is a God given day of rest and worship. Jesus said it was created for us and he is Lord of how we spend it. What would the church look like, or what would our lives look like if we allowed grace, rather than law to rule the Sabbath. Lighten up and celebrate the goodness of God. Let him recharge your batteries while you worship him.
Challenge: This Sunday relax. Don’t get so fussy about what to wear to
church or how you appear to others. Arrive a few minutes late to church and don’t apologize for it. Sing the songs without worrying how you sound. Refuse to use churchy talk. Sit somewhere different this week just to throw everybody off. It’ll be fun and you might make a new friend. If your toddler gets too loud don’t get angry its okay, really. When you get home ignore the laundry. Sit on the porch if you have one. Take a nap. Spend time doing something fun. And call an old friend to tell them you love them. And just in case there’s a Pharisee hiding in the bushes, go pick a tomato from your garden and eat it, letting the juice drip all over your chin… and Grin!
Mark Driskill and his wife Mary are homeschooling community ministers in Breathitt County Kentucky. They have four children. They co pastor Emmanuel fellowship Church, serve as Camp Pastors at Bethel Mennonite Camp, and Mark Teaches at Oakdale Christian Academy. Mark is web minister for Begotten by the Word , a ministry of Helping Hands Christian Resources. Once a month he preaches on the local radio station through the “Lion of Judah” program.
Mark also preaches in youth rallies and revivals upon request at no charge. Their vision is to see true spiritual awakening come to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and to the nation.
Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.
