Not Guilty Work Day

Luke 6: Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grain fields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. ² And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?”

³ But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: ⁴ how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” ⁵ And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

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Working until 3 in the morning was definitely a great excuse for missing church. I was a teen working at a bowling alley. By the time I got home, it was 3:20 AM. I slept until late afternoon.

• There were times when I did not think much of the Sabbath because I worked.
• There were times when my schedule did not include going to church.
• There were times when I slept through going to church because it was a lower priority to making money.

The Pharisees tried to blame JESUS and HIS disciples for breaking GOD’s law, not believing JESUS was and is GOD. They walked around observing the disciples, trying to catch them doing something wrong instead of teaching the Bible from a loving perspective. JESUS surprised them with HIS reply.

• JESUS wants me to take a day to rest and worship HIM.
• JESUS wants me to seek learning from HIM on a regular basis.
• JESUS wants me to know there are some harsh leaders who do not observe the Sabbath, so I may need to be flexible and worship HIM on purpose during other times.

Following JESUS will be met with worldly opposition. Schedules, problems and ailments can sometimes get in the way of my dedication to follow the law to the letter. JESUS says HE is the GOD of the Sabbath and understands my dilemma. HE still wants me to rest, follow and serve HIM, but is flexible because HE is the reason for the Sabbath.

• Are you feeling guilty because you have to work instead of worshipping?
• Do you blame people for working on the Sabbath like the Pharisees?
• Can you follow the heart of JESUS and rest and worship while being flexible to HIS plan for you which may include barriers to your desired worship day?