Rest

 Mark 2:27 ESV 

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  
 

There's a quote from an old hymn that says that religion never was designed to make our pleasures less. God isn't a cosmic killjoy. He wants us to rest in him and in his love.

 We're not robots. We're mortals. God has designed us to need rest, and given us a day a week on which to do so.

For the Jewish people, the Sabbath was a Saturday. Jesus defeated death on Sunday so it has always been the practice of Christians to rest on that day, from Bible times. That is the day we have always met together to worship the Lord.

Christians have different opinions about the Sabbath. We should give those kind of debates a rest! Suffice to say that if we get legalistic about a day of rest and overly prescriptive, we're missing Jesus's point here.

'Dear Lord, please help us not to idolise rest and turn it into some kind of religious work by which to try and earn your favour. For the honour of your name we ask this, amen'. 

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