What does it mean to rest?

Mark 2:27Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.”

Resting means limiting actions to those that genuinely express appreciation for God and care for others. It means answering the personal question: What important things should I be doing that the demands of daily work and life make it difficult to do?

Matthew 12:12“Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

Resting means doing good for others. By the time Jesus came, Israel had become so focused on the Sabbath that it eclipsed other significant commands and was used as a tool to control others. The Sabbath was not meant to keep people from doing good. Jesus reminded people that the Sabbath wasn’t an end in itself; it was supposed to benefit those who kept it.

Exodus 20:8-10“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you.”

Rest means a break from the ordinary, and giving others we influence the same break. Keeping it holy involves doing those things that focus on God rather than the needs that drive the daily activities of the week. Rest is more than not working; it is more than napping or sitting in a stupor (the hours of sleep each day should address that need for rest). It is an extended time of reflection on our relationship with God and all that he has done on our behalf.

Exodus 23:12“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your slaves and the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.”

The primary principle of the Sabbath is to take time away from the pressures of our everyday routines so that we can more intently focus on God in worship and to rest and renew our spirit. This should also help us to treat others under our influence with kindness and justice.