How To Heal and Honor Christ's Commandments

by: Tess Bueno Holtzapfel

Have you had a chance to look at the Ten Commandments lately? Today is Saturday and I'd like to touch on the commandment of remembering the Sabbath day, and keeping it Holy. The 4th commandment says .. six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of The Lord. In it you shall do no work:

Why am I writing about this now? With ample time to reflect on the stories of Jesus, I became curious about the Sabbath during this Passover and Resurrection period. One of the reasons the Pharisees opposed Jesus and eventually had Him killed was because He healed on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were the most numerous and influential religious sect at the time, greatly revered in Judaism. Their immense influence among the masses was well-known. They wanted Jesus dead because He didn’t conform to their rules, and they feared losing their followers to Him.

In Mark 3:1-6 They were upset that Jesus healed on the Sabbath and was winning the favor of people. He performed an act outside their religious traditions. And Jesus told them Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. And in that He restored the true biblical divine reason for the Sabbath, so he did not break the law. What are your thoughts?

Here is my interpretation of what Jesus meant when He told the Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for man...

Did you know that waaay back during the days of Jesus, Sabbath began on Friday at sundown and lasted until sundown on Saturday? I believe that the Sabbath rest is our loving Father's perfect design and His guide for us, His children. It encourages us to unplug at the end of the work week, prioritizing rest and closeness to Him after a long and hard week. He understands that when we're mentally and physically exhausted, we are most susceptible to making wrong decisions and opening the door to the enemy. So, the Sabbath was created for our protection.

The Sabbath was designed for humanity to set aside one day to rejuvenate their weary minds and draw closer to their Heavenly Father. It was established to maintain our mental health and heal us after a rough or devastating work week, protecting us from becoming broken. Did you know that in the United States, nearly half of adults (46.4%) will experience mental health and substance use issues during their lifetime

I sometimes think of this period of social distancing as an 'Extended Sabbath.' It's a chance for the entire world to take a break from our daily grind, rest, and focus on Jesus. It's also a time to show compassion, pray, heal, and help our neighbors, just as Jesus did. I believe the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy is just as relevant today as it was when Jesus walked the earth. I hope that as we recover from this pandemic crisis and things go back to normal you'll consider Friday night until Saturday night as a time to rest and reflect with God -- and heal from the week

Mark 3:1-6

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.  Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.  Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Isaiah 58:13

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's Holy day honorable, and honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speak idle words , then you will find joy in the Lord.