16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
I have been trying to do better about observing the Sabbath. Keeping what I am focused on, focused on God and spending it in ways that keep it holy. However, in our 24×7 world that can be really difficult. So often when we are really busy throughout the week, we look to the weekend to get everything domestic done around the house and with family.
When Jesus walked the earth there were strict rules around the Sabbath for the Jewish people. So, anything that broke from tradition was looked on most harshly, to the point of involving the Jewish leaders. There are religions still today that hold the Sabbath out in special ways and seek to make it a day set aside.
Jesus was about doing the Father’s work, be it a Sabbath or not. He went so far as to tell these leaders that He was about His Father’s work, which was blasphemy in their eyes. They did not recognize Him for who He was.
We need to take a close look at how we reflect on and keep the Sabbath. It is more about the practice and being about the Father’s work.
Reflect on: Keeping the Sabbath holy and being about the Fathers work throughout the week.
