Saturday August 27, 2016

Christ And The Sabbath

- LUKE 6:1-11

Key Verse:

"And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?" (Luke 6:2).

The Jewish Talmud is an application and interpretation of the Scriptures, and is viewed by most Jews, especially orthodox Jews, as valuable instruction for daily living. Yet, a careful reading of the hundreds of pages gives us what seems to be a very curious advice regarding keeping of the Sabbath. For example, knot-tying, writing and lighting a fire is prohibited on the Sabbath day. This includes turning on light switches and starting a car because both of these are examples of lighting a fire of sorts. From the passage, the Pharisees, who made themselves more or less the custodians of the Jewish religion and traditions, confronted Christ about violating the Sabbath. They accused Him of healing the sick on the Sabbath day. And when Christ, who is the Lord of the Sabbath, said it was necessary to heal on the Sabbath since it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, they were infuriated and conspired against Him. Many today are blinded by the particular interpretation they receive from their religious leaders that undermine love for their neighbours and help for those who are in need. When we allow ourselves to be animated by the warped zeal for religion without knowledge, the results will do more harm than good. Some even go to the extent of killing their fellow human beings as part of their religious obligation. Christ came to liberate us from the slavery of man-made religion. We cannot be said to be truly serving God if we are shackled by so-called regulations from being a channel of blessing to others.

Thought for the day: Christian faith, not empty religion, has the capacity to truly set free.

Bible Reading in one Year: PSALM 39 - 43