THE SABBATH AND COMPASSION           

MEDITATION

God has not provided the Sabbath as a law AGAINST us, but as an act of compassion FOR us. That's why the disciples were allowed to eat the heads of grain to satisfy their hunger on the Sabbath (Matthew 12: 1-8). That's why the man with the withered hand was healed on the Sabbath (Matthew12: 9-13). Jesus saw the disciples’ hunger and the man’s misery and was moved by it. The Sabbath is a day for nourishment and healing. Neither prohibition of actions (“doing nothing”) nor the requirement of actions (“offering sacrifice”) are at the centre of the Sabbath. The main aim of the Sabbath is to show us the compassion of God. 

In the Old Testament the Sabbath is an expression of the covenant between God and His people, as is circumcision. The Sabbath serves as a day of rest, of looking up to God and marveling at His compassion and holiness. “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” (Exodus 31:13). The people of God receive God’s compassion, they are “infected” by it, and they then pass it on as a blessing to the whole world. 

When we come together for worship and fellowship, when we listen to God's voice and talk to Him, we break out of our daily life and celebrate His compassion. At church the economic performance-thinking, as well as the recreational entertainment-thinking, shatter. Hence, church service is neither business nor show, neither religious effort nor religious consumption. It is much more than that. It is a place where our souls can rest and where we experience God’s mercy. At church, God ministers to us with His compassion. Whoever receives God’s mercy will become a giver of mercy. "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." (Luke 6:36).

Through the gift of mercy, God prepares us to live and act mercifully, to do good to each other. The verse of the day encourages us to be Jesus-oriented in this world.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION  

• Meditate on the following: God has not provided the Sabbath as a law AGAINST us, but as an act of compassion FOR us.  
• How can I experience God’s compassion demonstrated in the Sabbath in relation to God and in relation to the people around me?  
• What small change can I make in order to prioritize God’s compassion on the Sabbath––as an individual, in the family, in church?

PRAYER TOPICS  

• We pray for time to focus on God. We break out of our usual way of thinking that focuses on performance and consumption. We ask God for His mercy (Kyrie eleison – Lord have mercy!).   
• We pray for forgiveness for the times when church services become religious activism instead of an encounter with God.  
• We pray for everyone who preaches the Word of God, and that the merciful message of God may be heard and received.   
• We pray for God to open our eyes, so that we can act mercifully towards our neighbours as He has been merciful with us.   
• We pray for the Holy Spirit to show us how we can be God-centred and care for all of creation.

SUGGESTED PRAYER 

Merciful God, we praise and celebrate You! We worship You. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Zeboath (almighty)”, we pray with the army of angels. 

Forgive us for being self-centred and focused on our activities, when we should have been focused on You. Revive our church services with Your Holy Spirit, for us to encounter You afresh, and for our hearts to be transformed by Your compassion. Bless all those who preach the Word of God. Open our eyes and our hearts to the needs of our neighbours and our society. Give us ideas and courage to invest mercifully into Your church and the world. Amen.

Lea Schweyer, President of the Evangelical Alliance Section Riehen-Bettingen, Switzerland.