What is Rest?
The Sabbath represents God's rest. It is a signpost to the life God wishes his creation to enjoy. By the time of Jesus this had become a restrictive day of religious observance ruthlessly enforced by the religious leaders. Jesus deliberately challenges this approach in order to establish the proper purpose of Sabbath.
Jesus picks grain on the Sabbath knowing that the religious leaders are watching, by picking the grain he is knowingly picking a fight. Luke links this with another occasion where Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, again when the religious leaders were watching. This was the healing of a withered hand, not something life-threatening, something that could have been left until the next day. Jesus is doing this deliberately to make a point.
A common-sense view of these incidents shows how daft and dangerous religion can become. The observances undermine doing good and the over-reaction of the religious results in unjustified rage and wanting to cause harm.
The picking of grain was permitted in the law. The underlying query was ‘what is deemed to be work?’, but this is really trivial and misses the point. The aim was not about restriction but refreshment. Rest from work is a good thing.
Religious observance here results in people remaining hungry and crippled. Jesus quotes an example of their most respected person in history over-riding the rules to feed his men when they are hungry. His quote 'The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath' turns this religious nonsense on its head, the aim of Sabbath is actually for the good of humanity, for our health and well-being. Jesus takes the responsibility back from the religious leaders. They saw themselves as guardians of the law but just enforced silly rules that stifled, instead of releasing, life.
The Sabbath represents God's rest. It is not about inertia, doing nothing, no work or action. It is about removing the toil out of work, the unproductive mind-sapping curse brought about by sin. It is about being whole, creative, fulfilled, knowing that we are doing what God wants us to be doing. This is life in Jesus, the Son of Man, new humanity.
Paul warns about the dangers of observing days religiously. Rest is found by life in Jesus and not by doing different observances on certain days. We can enjoy this rest now, today. Rest is the starting point to achieve fulfilment in life, to achieve God's purposes. It does not mean that we become satisfied and lose drive and determination for tomorrow. But it does mean we are secure in knowing we are fulfilling what God wants us to be doing today, and are prepared and looking forward to tomorrow’s challenges.
Background
Luke chapter 6 verses 1 to 11 - Now it happened that he (Jesus) was passing through some grain-fields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the grain. But some of the Pharisees said, "Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" And Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?" And he was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him closely to see if he healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse him. But he knew what they were thinking, and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?" After looking around at them all, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And he did so; and his hand was restored. But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
The Sabbath represents God's rest (Genesis chapter 2 verses 2,3).
It is a signpost to the life God wishes his creation to enjoy. By the time of Jesus this had become a restrictive day of religious observance ruthlessly enforced by the religious leaders. Jesus deliberately challenges this approach in order to establish the proper purpose of Sabbath (Luke chapter 6 verses 1 to 11).
The picking of grain was permitted in the law (Deuteronomy chapter 23 verse 25). The underlying query was ‘what is deemed to be work?’ (Exodus chapter 20 verses 8 to 11), but this is really trivial and misses the point. The aim was not about restriction but refreshment (Exodus chapter 23 verse 12).
Jesus quotes an example of their most respected person in history over-riding the rules to feed his men when they are hungry (1 Samuel chapter 21 verse 6).
The Sabbath represents God's rest. It is not about inertia, doing nothing, no work or action. It is about removing the toil out of work, the unproductive mind-sapping curse brought about by sin (Genesis chapter 3 verses 17 to 19).
Paul warns about the dangers of observing days religiously (Galatians chapter 4 verses 10,11; Colossians chapter 2 verses 16,17). Rest is found by life in Jesus and not by doing different observances on certain days.
We can enjoy this rest now, today (Hebrews chapter 4 verses 1 to 4,7,9 to 11).