Out of the Sunday/Church Box
Out of the Sunday/Church Box
I still remember when the only stores that were open on Sundays were the convenient stores where you could buy stuff like milk and bread. Now everything and anything is open on Sundays and you can’t even tell the difference between Monday and Sunday. The world has transitioned and gone beyond the Sunday box. Granted that businesses are open on Sundays for commercial and profit motives; is it possible that the Church and the body of Christ are still stuck within the Sunday box? What is the Sunday box as defined by Jesus? Let’s read two encounters where the Pharisees wanted to keep Jesus boxed-in within the Sunday box.
Luke 6: 1-11
1One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
3Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." 5Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.
9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"
10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Here are some observations in addition to the ones you may have.
1. In these accounts, Sabbath (our Saturday) is the equivalent of our Sunday. The early Church decided to worship on Sunday since it was the day of Christ’s resurrection. It does not make a difference which you adhere to depending on which day you start counting your six work days. The issue here is that the disciples were accused of harvesting on Sunday which was unlawful according the Jewish tradition. Though Luke does not say it, the disciples were hungry (see Matthew 12: 1-14 and Mark 2:23-3:6) and that is why they picked the grains to eat.
2. “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” But is that the case? The law says, “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest (Exodus 34:21). The Pharisees had carried this law through tradition to the extreme. Let Jesus himself explain this.
3. Is it okay to save lives or to do good on Sunday? Jesus gave example of David’s action which like that of his disciples was technically unlawful but trumped by doing good and saving lives in both occasions.
4. Jesus proceeds to demonstrate that it is better to do good and healed the man with withered hand on a Sabbath/Sunday. For the Pharisees, their extremism only allowed attending to the sick if one was in danger of death on Sabbath. The man with withered hand was not and that was the point Jesus was making. You can still do good and meet the spirit of the law which was summed up by loving God and loving your neighbor.
5. The Sunday box therefore is the attitude of using tradition as a pretense from doing what is right and good on Sunday or any other day. Tradition (though good for stability in a society) would sometimes cripple you and stop the work of God. Just because your mom and dad celebrated and observed Sunday in a certain way does not make it right or wrong. If your tradition says you don’t even go to the grocery on Sunday and you have a guest that needs to be fed and there is no food in the house, you decide which comes first –feed your guest or get stuck in tradition?
6. Keep in mind that Jesus did not invalidate the keeping of Sabbath but affirmed it. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Sabbath (Saturday or Sunday) is a day of rest. I would even venture like Apostle Paul to say as a matter of fact that it could be any other day (Monday – Friday) you have chosen. See Romans 14:5. The principle still remains the same – rest before you crash. “Jesus cut across these traditions and emphasized the God-given purpose of the Sabbath – a day intended for man (for spiritual, mental and physical restoration; see Exodus 20:8-11)”. Are you making time for rest or are you so busy with “Church/religious activities” on Sunday that it is no longer a day of rest? I used to be more exhausted on Sunday than any other day of the week. I had to repent and get out of the Sunday box.
7. Jesus declares that He, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” This is therefore the crucial point of the entire passage. Regardless of what you do or do not do on Sabbath/Sunday, Jesus must have the first place in our lives. We are to do all things unto the Lord to glorify him.
We get into the Sunday/Church box through extremism. The way out of the box is through balance in our daily living. Jesus has brought us liberty and whom the Son sets free is free indeed. We must balance Scripture with Scripture. What are the boxes you have placed yourself in? Religious duties of dos and don’ts will kill the life of Jesus in us. Let us be free today in Jesus name. Remember no action of ours made us right with God except the death of Christ on the cross. So why do you now think that what you do on Sundays or any other day will make you righteous before God? Don’t be an “Old Testament Christian” – one who believes in salvation through Jesus but still hold to justifying himself by the things he does. Jesus said “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (Luke 5:37). Get out of the box and be free for Jesus. Amen.
I still remember when the only stores that were open on Sundays were the convenient stores where you could buy stuff like milk and bread. Now everything and anything is open on Sundays and you can’t even tell the difference between Monday and Sunday. The world has transitioned and gone beyond the Sunday box. Granted that businesses are open on Sundays for commercial and profit motives; is it possible that the Church and the body of Christ are still stuck within the Sunday box? What is the Sunday box as defined by Jesus? Let’s read two encounters where the Pharisees wanted to keep Jesus boxed-in within the Sunday box.
Luke 6: 1-11
1One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
3Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." 5Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.
9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"
10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Here are some observations in addition to the ones you may have.
1. In these accounts, Sabbath (our Saturday) is the equivalent of our Sunday. The early Church decided to worship on Sunday since it was the day of Christ’s resurrection. It does not make a difference which you adhere to depending on which day you start counting your six work days. The issue here is that the disciples were accused of harvesting on Sunday which was unlawful according the Jewish tradition. Though Luke does not say it, the disciples were hungry (see Matthew 12: 1-14 and Mark 2:23-3:6) and that is why they picked the grains to eat.
2. “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” But is that the case? The law says, “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest (Exodus 34:21). The Pharisees had carried this law through tradition to the extreme. Let Jesus himself explain this.
3. Is it okay to save lives or to do good on Sunday? Jesus gave example of David’s action which like that of his disciples was technically unlawful but trumped by doing good and saving lives in both occasions.
4. Jesus proceeds to demonstrate that it is better to do good and healed the man with withered hand on a Sabbath/Sunday. For the Pharisees, their extremism only allowed attending to the sick if one was in danger of death on Sabbath. The man with withered hand was not and that was the point Jesus was making. You can still do good and meet the spirit of the law which was summed up by loving God and loving your neighbor.
5. The Sunday box therefore is the attitude of using tradition as a pretense from doing what is right and good on Sunday or any other day. Tradition (though good for stability in a society) would sometimes cripple you and stop the work of God. Just because your mom and dad celebrated and observed Sunday in a certain way does not make it right or wrong. If your tradition says you don’t even go to the grocery on Sunday and you have a guest that needs to be fed and there is no food in the house, you decide which comes first –feed your guest or get stuck in tradition?
6. Keep in mind that Jesus did not invalidate the keeping of Sabbath but affirmed it. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Sabbath (Saturday or Sunday) is a day of rest. I would even venture like Apostle Paul to say as a matter of fact that it could be any other day (Monday – Friday) you have chosen. See Romans 14:5. The principle still remains the same – rest before you crash. “Jesus cut across these traditions and emphasized the God-given purpose of the Sabbath – a day intended for man (for spiritual, mental and physical restoration; see Exodus 20:8-11)”. Are you making time for rest or are you so busy with “Church/religious activities” on Sunday that it is no longer a day of rest? I used to be more exhausted on Sunday than any other day of the week. I had to repent and get out of the Sunday box.
7. Jesus declares that He, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” This is therefore the crucial point of the entire passage. Regardless of what you do or do not do on Sabbath/Sunday, Jesus must have the first place in our lives. We are to do all things unto the Lord to glorify him.
We get into the Sunday/Church box through extremism. The way out of the box is through balance in our daily living. Jesus has brought us liberty and whom the Son sets free is free indeed. We must balance Scripture with Scripture. What are the boxes you have placed yourself in? Religious duties of dos and don’ts will kill the life of Jesus in us. Let us be free today in Jesus name. Remember no action of ours made us right with God except the death of Christ on the cross. So why do you now think that what you do on Sundays or any other day will make you righteous before God? Don’t be an “Old Testament Christian” – one who believes in salvation through Jesus but still hold to justifying himself by the things he does. Jesus said “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (Luke 5:37). Get out of the box and be free for Jesus. Amen.
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