One Sabbath Jesus was going through grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭12‬
[John the Baptist speaking]
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

It is fascinating that this same topic comes up over and over again today, just as much as it did in Jesus’ time. There were legalistic, religious leaders back then that tried to judge the hearts of others by what they do on the Sabbath, and this same category of people exists today. Instead of trying to understand the heart of this issue of finding rest with God, they hold up rituals as the answer.

Over the last year I have heard much about how I need to back off and set aside some of the ministries that God has called me to, in the name of rest and recovery or Sabbath. But as I read the Bible, this is not what I find. I read that time away with the Lord and in communion with him is good and important. I read that working hard in our occupations and ministry is good. And I read that sharing in the sufferings of Christ while serving hard is a privilege and an honor.

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
(‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭14‬)

Sabbath rest is mainly about finding quality and quantity time with God, as compared to reserving Saturday or Sunday for one rest day. Here Jesus references the fact that both he and God are always working. “So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.’” (‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭17‬)

And again, here Jesus talks about true rest while at work: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭29‬)

So how can we at once take on the yoke of Christ (yoke referencing plowing fields with the implication of planting seeds in souls for eternity) and also find rest? The answer - true rest is a gift from Jesus Christ! We experience it when we yoke up next to him and let him lead us wherever he wants to and then he also is doing most of the work. I have found that much of my exhaustion in life has been when I am fighting at the yoke with Jesus, wanting to go my own way or not wanting to follow Jesus as he plows through rough sin issues in my life.

So everyday, I must desire to seek after him and do his work. Then too, I must prioritize the first fruits of my time to spend with him. And finally, to experience true rest, I must ask the Savior for it as a gift.

Sabbath rest is more about our heart to rest in Jesus and a mindset to focus on his ways, than a prescribed day or amount of hours.

Lord, teach me to request the gift of rest from you more and more often. You promise that you will give it if I ask and I am yoked up to you and doing your work! Thank you for your amazing rest! It fills and fulfills me!