Rest. Who wants some rest? It’s amazing to me how often I hear folks inside and outside the church expressing ongoing exhaustion. This week as we continue in Mark, Jesus argues with the religious leaders about Sabbath rest. As we saw the last two weeks, they think he’s soft on sin and has followers who aren’t devoted to God’s Word. So they watch him assiduously to discover any possible failing, and then “catch” Jesus and his disciples in the act of violating their understanding of the Sabbath. I must say, even writing those last few sentences, I’ve come to find that sort of religiosity exhausting – for everyone involved. Instead, the Sabbath is meant to be a delight (Isa.58:13-14). It’s meant to bring deep, lifegiving rest. So why are so few people finding it delightful? Even when we do “rest,” why doesn’t it rejuvenate us? Let’s talk about “The Lord of Rest” and the problem of how we sabbath (Mk.2:23-3:6).
