Many Christians have questions regarding what can be done on the Sabbath as it relates to certain jobs.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
We have to understand that it's not the working or not working that makes any particular day holy, the day is holy in spite of what we do or don't do. God tells us to honor the fact that the day is holy by ceasing labor on that day. Don't we as mankind do the same thing. I have Thanksgiving, Fourth of July off in light of what the day stands for. Having these days off is not what makes them holy, these days are holy because something else made them holy.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]With that in mind, Jesus taught many times about keeping the Sabbath holy in light of necessary needs pertaining to life and service to God.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Farmers need to care for their animals seven days a week, does that make them a Sabbath breaker? Not according to Jesus. As a matter of fact, if you have animals that you care for on the Sabbath and then call someone else a Sabbath breaker for doing necessary things on the Sabbath then you are called a hypocrite by Jesus, not a Sabbath breaker.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Luke 13:10-15 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.'' And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.'' The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
If you're hungry on the Sabbath and need to do something that would otherwise be a violation of a regulation Jesus says our human need overrides that regulation whether it's the Sabbath or not. As a matter of fact, Jesus goes on to say how this was an old testament principle as well.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Matthew 12:1-5 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!'' Then He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: "how he entered the house of God and ate the show bread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? "Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Notice how doing something in violation of regulations due to necessary needs and service to God is not a violation of the Sabbath, this includes people who have to work on the Sabbath such as pastors, police, fire, rescue, doctors, electricians and plumbers on emergency call and so on.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Obeying the teachings of Jesus, which is what the new covenant is founded on, removes all the ritualistic keeping of the Ten Commandments. Having the Spirit of God living within you will cause you to not only obey the Ten Commandments but will lead you beyond just the keeping of the letter and move you into the spirit of the Law, which is love for God and love for mankind. This is where we find ourselves caring for needs pertaining to life in spite of it being a violation of a regulation but this does not do away with the regulation during times when there is no need pertaining to life or service to God.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
God is looking for justice, mercy and faith in our lives as new covenant Christians but not at the expense of forgetting the other things.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Many times justice, mercy and faith are not present when people keep the commandments of God out of ritualism or with a legalistic mindset. Obeying Jesus and allowing Him to write these things on our hearts and minds through the indwelling Spirit will cure these flaws in religious man over time. [/FONT]