Letter to the Congregations: 14th May 2022

Our Dear Brethren,

The warm air slowly brushed against the heads of grain as the disciples followed Jesus through a path in the field. As they walked, their palms grazed the bristles on the tops of the grain, feeling the swaying field with the breeze. The disciples were hungry after having walked across the city of Jerusalem. It was the Sabbath and they had a busy morning already. One by one the disciples began plucking a few heads of grain as they walked. They rubbed the grain between their palms, removing the hull so they could eat them. It wasn't a substantial meal, but it was enough to give them energy to continue on. Close by, watching everything they did and listening to everything they said, were a group of Pharisees. A few of them approached Jesus and said, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" (Mark 2:24)

The Pharisees considered what the disciples were doing to be work. The Jewish community, after having been released from the captivity that God had placed them in for defiling His Sabbaths and worshiping idols, were hyper vigilant about breaking the Sabbath. They created for themselves rules and traditions, and added them to the laws God had given them, to help ensure they might not even come close to breaking the Sabbath. Of course we know that the disciples weren't actually harvesting these fields. They were merely plucking a few grains so they would have something to eat. Jesus Christ who, along with His Father, had written the law knew the difference between sin and righteousness. He knew the difference between the law of God and manmade burdens. He kept the Law perfectly and didn't defend lawlessness among His own students.

Jesus reminded the Pharisees, and His disciples, that He was involved in the creation of the very first Sabbath. He reminded them that the weekly Sabbath (and by extension the annual Sabbaths) is a blessing from God and not a clunky burden that is meant to place fear into the hearts of those who keep it. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man [referring to Himself] is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28). In a passage that reminds God's people of their rebellious history, there is a profound statement regarding the importance of the Sabbath and the Holy Days in our lives if we want to be associated with our Creator, "Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them" (Ezekiel 20:12).

In much of my life I have seen many people (including myself and my family) struggle with the balancing act of remembering God's Sabbath and His Holy Days. I don't know that many of us have gotten this balance right yet. I've seen children and adults give priority to school over these Sabbaths, somehow thinking that education takes priority over proper worship of God. They miss out on the joy of the Feasts and the rest of the weekly Sabbath, as well as miss out on much needed fellowship and building of unity with their brethren. I've seen the poor struggle to call off from work on the Sabbath for fear of losing their job. Perhaps they aren't quite ready to trust that God will provide for their needs and the needs of their family. I've seen people add their own restrictions onto the Sabbath and then look down on their brethren who don't do as they do. I've seen people struggle with putting aside entertainment for Bible study and meditation on the Sabbath. It's as if the world is calling them back into the week early and they can't decide if they are enjoying the rest or if the Sabbath has become redundant and tedious.

None of us, from the youngest children and those new to keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days all the way up to the veteran Sabbath-keepers, are immune to human nature and the pulls of the cares of this life. The Sabbaths aren't just about keeping ourselves from breaking the law of God. They're also about remembering our Creator who has made us and who has saved us from ourselves. They're about looking back at the history of the release from captivity of God's people, and also about looking forward to the coming kingdom of God, a time of harmony and perfect peace. "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... It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed" (Exodus 31:13, 17).

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe