Is Jesus implying that He expects his disciples to keep the Sabbath in Matthew 24:20?

[dqhall]

In Matthew 24:15-25 we read:

15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’a described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. 18And let no one in the field return for his cloak. 19How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. 21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. 23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance.​

Is Jesus encouraging his disciples to pray that "your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath" because He expects them to keep the Sabbath (i.e. the fourth commandment)? If so, is this exhortation aimed at Jewish disciples only or both Jewish and Gentile disciples?

This passage is a warning in advance of what happened in 70 AD when the Roman army of Titus began to surround Jerusalem as it was full of Passover pilgrims and Rome was at war with the Jews. According to Eusebius, Jewish Christians remembered Jesus’ teachings and fled to Pella across the Jordan River. They did not have time to sell their homes or to pack. The Romans and starvation killed many in Jerusalem. The Romans destroyed the temple ending the daily sacrifice. The few able bodied Jews left alive were taken as slaves.

Since the Jewish court, the Sanhedrin, ruled against Sabbath desecration, Jews who traveled during the Sabbath were punished. Disciples fleeing on the Sabbath might have been arrested. Even in modern times some might be fired from jobs, turned out of kibbutzes, made outcasts, or disinherited for working on the Sabbath. When I toured Israel in a rental car, I was pulled over by the Israeli police and warned not to drive in a Jewish neighborhood on Shabbat/Sabbath. Some neighborhoods closed their streets on the seventh day with temporary barricades. In Tiberias, Israel a loud siren sounded at sundown Friday to announce the beginning of Sabbath.

A Gospel parallel:

Luke 21:20-28 (WEB) “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the middle of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein. 22 For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25 There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; 26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”

 

[Kenny'sID]

The answer can be found in post #5.

Thanks for the reference.

Just as I figured, but those were laws made up by the religious leaders and Jesus seemed to have some bad things to say about them making up rules. So were the travel laws even binding?

But all that aside, what about the ox in the ditch clause? I mean if there ever was a legal reason to break the sabbath due to something that cannot be helped, would not running for our lives qualify?

So, my concern from the start here was, maybe we dont understand the flight on the sabbath scripture because to me, it makes no sense after the ox/ditch clause is taken into consideration.

However I can see how they draw the conclusion most do on that, or maybe I'm misunderstanding something.