The Sabbath Was Made For Man, And Not Man For the Sabbath

Mark 2:27-28(NKJV)

27And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 

28Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

I like referring back to this Scripture anytime I see religion getting too complicated.  It seems that man has a tendency to create new rules and rituals where non existed before.   To what purpose?  I think it is about control more than anything else. 

I think man has a tendency to twist the rules to mean things that the rules were never intended to mean.  Let me give you an example from Mark 2.  Here is a fuller version of the text above.

Mark 2:25-28(NKJV)

25But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 

26how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

27And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 

28Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

What is another name for the Sabbath?  The Day of Rest.  That is it's whole purpose.  Back then there was no such thing as the weekend.  You pretty much worked 7 days a week.  The Sabbath gave people a chance to rest and recharge.   Look what the Priests translated that into.

You can't do any "work" whatsoever on the Sabbath.  You have to sit around on your butt and do nothing.  Now for some people that is OK, but to others that doesn't really help them rest and recharge.  It would drive me crazy.

You see there are many of us out here that find doing things that some would call work very enjoyable.  As an example, I love to work on my own car.  It gives me a great sense of fun, enjoyment, and satisfaction.  These are all feelings and emotions that help me recharge.  But according to the Priests of old working on my car on a Sunday would be forbidden.

Now let's go over to my common sense approach to God.  As I've said before, my favorite paradigm of God is God the Father.  As a parent yourself, as long as your kids are attempting to follow the spirit of your instructions, to rest and recharge, do you really care how they do it?  Isn't it best left up to them to decide what helps them feel refreshed and reinvigorated?  And if you feel that way about your kids, isn't it logical that God probably looks at it the same way?  I happen to think so.

So the next time you are be overwhelmed with do's and don'ts, rules and regulations, ask yourself this.  "Is this an example of Sabbath for Man or Man for Sabbath", and choose accordingly.