Just Another Day?

“How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12).

When I started out in pastoral ministry in 1958, Sunday was unlike any other day. Very few stores were open for business, and many Christians observed Sunday as a day of rest. Some regarded Sunday as the Sabbath and observed strict rules about what they would do and not do on Sunday. They would attend Sunday school and church, enjoy a special dinner at home, and spend the rest of the day reading or performing quiet pastimes. They would not take a Sunday newspaper, work on Sunday, participate in sports, shop, or eat out.

Times have changed, haven’t they? Now Sunday seems to be just another day to many people. We have come a long way, but in what direction? Are we closer to what God wants us to be and do, or are we farther from what He wants us to be and do?
Jesus taught the strict Pharisees in Mathew 12:1-13 that observing ironclad rules about the Sabbath while neglecting to minister to others misses the mark of honoring the Lord of the Sabbath. He condoned His disciples’ harvesting some heads of grain on the Sabbath in order to satisfy their hunger. Also, He healed on the Sabbath. Jesus cared about people then, and He still cares. So we should not confine kindness to six days of the week.

Sunday is not the Sabbath; it is the Lord’s Day, a day of worship and service. Perhaps today we might persuade someone to believe in Jesus if we not only attend church on Sunday but also help that person in a practical, kind way.

© 2007, Jesus Cares by Jim Dyet, Haven Ministries