Meaning of "Sabbath Made For Man"

[Javelin]

I have long struggled with how to understand Mark 2:27 and Jesus's words "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." What do you think Jesus is saying here? As you post your responses, I will ask questions.

This is not a leading question with an agenda. I really grapple with the meaning of this passage---especially the second part which says "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

When you respond, it would be helpful to know your personal convictions on the Sabbath/Lord's Day. My background includes training in the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession and 1689 London Baptist Confession.

Thank you and God bless you.

Javelin

[GraceAmbassador]

I have long struggled with how to understand Mark 2:27 and Jesus's words "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." What do you think Jesus is saying here? As you post your responses, I will ask questions.

This is not a leading question with an agenda. I really grapple with the meaning of this passage---especially the second part which says "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

When you respond, it would be helpful to know your personal convictions on the Sabbath/Lord's Day. My background includes training in the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession and 1689 London Baptist Confession.

Thank you and God bless you.

Javelin

Dear Javelin:

In my work I often repeat this phrase to some "zealot" that circumstancially are positioned over me in the organization chart (which I am ashamed and refuse to call "boss"): "The system was made for us and not us for the system".

The idea is that the system was made for us to rule and exercise judgment and common sense over it and not to enslave us making us a servant of itself in a way that even to our own harm we would blindly obey it...

I believe this simply to be the idea that Jesus is trying to convey. The Pharisees considered any type of healing "work" and as such, should not be exercised on the Sabbath day. Jesus healed a man in the Sabbath and they condemned Jesus for it; Jesus tells them that the Sabbath, or the rest, was made for man as a SERVANT and not as a taskmaster. We should use good judgment on the Sabbath day and if anyone would be sick, the exercise of healing would be a way to demonstrate good judgment on the Sabbath without feelings of guilt. By the same token, if anyone cannot worship in the Sabbath day, or Sunday, they should be free and exercise judgment and be able to make the Sabbath, the day of rest or the day of worship any other day of the week or EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!

Often, when 7th Day Adventists ask me: "Do you keep the Sabbath?" I reply: NO BUT THE SABBATH KEEPS ME. Why? Jesus is my Sabbath and He keeps me!

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath in that He created it, He became IT, and He Sovereignly can and will exercise His power during it, beyond it and IN SPITE OF IT!

I believe this judgment is also expected of us as God's Children. When denominations impose the keeping of the so called "Christian Sabbath", or the Sunday, to a point in that men, Saved Men, now become SERVANTS of this day, nearly or totally worshipping THE DAY, rather than the Day Creator, common sense and Christian Liberty cease to exist and ridiculous situations may occur.

Note the example of what happened to my father: In the early 70's my father lost his job in a very good company. My father could not find a job because of his age and I still had younger brothers and an exceptional sister (retarded if you will) and my sick mother for him to care for. The only job my very strong and stern hardshell Baptist found was in a place where he had to work Sunday afternoons (after church services, I want to add). His pastor stripped my father off of all his offices in the church (which he had faithfully exercised over the majority of his adolescent and adult life) and held a special assembly in the congregation not to allow my father to have any influence over the affairs of the church that HE, my father, had founded! (The monster my father created was now eating him up!)

You know what happens when you hurt an older man, some of them, at least: My father NEVER recovered and today, at almost 90 he LOATHES churches and pastors... By the way, do you know what that church offered in trade for the job my father had on Sundays so his family would not starve? NOTHING! Only the humiliation for his noble act!

That's when THE SABBATH BECOMES THE LORD OF MEN! When we lose our ability to judge things rightly because of religiosity; when we hurt people because of a DAY as if God would be pleased for hurting people and regards a day more important than one of His children; is when the DAY is more important than charity, fellowship and understanding... That's not the purpose of the Sabbath or the Sunday! They were created FOR US, and not AGAINST US! And Jesus rules over it! He is the Sovereign over it!

I hope this lenghty response and this boring story about my own experience with my father helped you understand the words of Jesus in Mark 2:27.

Milt

[Forester07]

Javelin,

The sabbath was made for man in that it was the Sign for the Mosaic Covenant at mt. Sinai.

Exodus 31:16-18 "Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'" And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

In Exodus 31:13-17, we see that the Sabbath was made a sign of the Sinai covenant. The Sabbath was a perpetual reminder of the covenant that Israel made at Mt. Sinai. So when the book of Hebrews describes how the old covenant is passing away it makes sense that the sign for this covenant is also passing away. This explains why the sabbath is no longer binding. Christ is our sabbath rest as GraceAmbassador explained very well.

[Robert R. Higby]

Everything that God created in all history was for the benefit of man. The Sabbath day provided a certain benefit for the portion of mankind that it was given to; it gave them a day of rest from their earthly toil. This type of rest is abundant today in many of the laws and customs of nations. Most of our employers give us TWO days a week to experience it!

The point made by Christ in Mk. 2:27,28 is this: HE as the Son of Man instituted everything in history that was for man's benefit, including the sabbath day. He is LORD over it and has the complete and perfect right to do with it as he pleases! If that means abolishing the letter of the Judaic law in order to give way to the new era of the gospel, so be it!