“At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.’ But he replied, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Pick up your mat and walk.”’ So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.” – John 9-11, 16
I’m teaching a study on the Theology of John and Charles Wesley, and yesterday our conversation touched on the nature of sin. How do we define sin, and is sin the same at all times, in all places, for all people?
One person mentioned that playing cards on Sunday is an example of what used to be considered a sin, but is no longer widely considered as such. Yet this person still does not play cards on Sunday. His reasoning is not that “the law forbids you to play cards,” but that for him, Sunday needs to be a day set apart in some way. The Christian Sabbath, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, must be a day set apart for God.
The original intent of the Jewish law was to set up boundaries that would help people stay in close relationship with God. Yet over the years, the law had more or less turned into dead regulations for the sake of regulating – the original reason for them was lost.
Jesus is returning to the original meaning of the Sabbath: a day set apart to connect with God more deeply. And this lame man, who was accused of violating Sabbath laws, was actually observing the Sabbath better than the Jews who accused him. Once again, Jesus has taken earthly expectations and turned them on their head.
As we move through another day of this Lenten journey, are we remembering to “set apart” Lent? Are we remembering to “set apart” Sundays? Are we letting the laws of Scripture keep us in obedience to God for the purpose of drawing into deeper relationship with Her?
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