DOING US A FAVOR
He also said to them, "The Sabbath was made for the sake of man and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of Man is sovereign even over the Sabbath." Mark 2:27, 28, N.E.B.
I like to imagine Jesus' face as He was saying this to His disciples, because I'm sure His expression revealed His feelings. I picture a hint of a playful smile at the edges of His mouth, as if to say, "Are you ready for this one? You're going to like it!"
And the tone of His voice--it was straining to open their minds to this precious insight: You think the Sabbath is a ritual you've been doing as a favor to God. But you've got it all wrong. My Father likes to do favors for His friends. And this one's for you!
The Sabbath had been such a burden for them as they tried to impress God with their diligence in keeping all the rules. Jesus' point was that His Father was already so impressed with His people that He was making a deliberate appointment to spend special time with them. Of all the things that God could do for the benefit of His people, no blessing could be greater than His personal fellowship with them.
Think of all the things God could be doing with His time! He is, after all, in charge of the whole universe. Yet He counts it no sacrifice from His busy schedule to set aside one seventh of each week exclusively for the benefit of His friends. (We sometimes think that we are making the sacrifice from our schedules to do Him the favor of our ritualistic worship!)
Could we fully grasp what Jesus is saying, we would cry with David, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest hm? (Ps. 8:4). The question deserves an answer, too. To see our Father going to such lengths to enjoy fellowship with His creatures should tell us that he views us as capable of bringing satisfaction and delight to His heart through that fellowship.
No one knew better than Jesus the fellowship with the Father that the Sabbath celebrates. That's why He calls Himself "the Lord...of the Sabbath." Let's celebrate with Him.
He also said to them, "The Sabbath was made for the sake of man and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of Man is sovereign even over the Sabbath." Mark 2:27, 28, N.E.B.
I like to imagine Jesus' face as He was saying this to His disciples, because I'm sure His expression revealed His feelings. I picture a hint of a playful smile at the edges of His mouth, as if to say, "Are you ready for this one? You're going to like it!"
And the tone of His voice--it was straining to open their minds to this precious insight: You think the Sabbath is a ritual you've been doing as a favor to God. But you've got it all wrong. My Father likes to do favors for His friends. And this one's for you!
The Sabbath had been such a burden for them as they tried to impress God with their diligence in keeping all the rules. Jesus' point was that His Father was already so impressed with His people that He was making a deliberate appointment to spend special time with them. Of all the things that God could do for the benefit of His people, no blessing could be greater than His personal fellowship with them.
Think of all the things God could be doing with His time! He is, after all, in charge of the whole universe. Yet He counts it no sacrifice from His busy schedule to set aside one seventh of each week exclusively for the benefit of His friends. (We sometimes think that we are making the sacrifice from our schedules to do Him the favor of our ritualistic worship!)
Could we fully grasp what Jesus is saying, we would cry with David, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest hm? (Ps. 8:4). The question deserves an answer, too. To see our Father going to such lengths to enjoy fellowship with His creatures should tell us that he views us as capable of bringing satisfaction and delight to His heart through that fellowship.
No one knew better than Jesus the fellowship with the Father that the Sabbath celebrates. That's why He calls Himself "the Lord...of the Sabbath." Let's celebrate with Him.
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