The word from Luke 6:1-11. I will read it. On the Sabbath, while Jesus was going through the grain fields, His disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" Jesus answered them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he went into the house of God and took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?" And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." Now it happened on another Sabbath, as He entered the synagogue and taught, that a man was there whose right hand was withered. So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man with the withered hand, "Arise and stand here." And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. Amen.
The theme of the message we will share today is 'the Sabbath.' In the Old Testament, the Sabbath corresponds to what we would call Saturday today. More precisely, the Sabbath, which is still observed by Jews today, is from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. However, you and I observe Sunday, today, as the day of rest. This is because Jesus rose on the first day after the Sabbath, which is what we now call Sunday. Therefore, the church has distinguished the day of the Lord's resurrection as the Lord's Day, commemorating His salvation and new creation.
The Presbyterian Church, which follows the Westminster tradition, you know that our church is a Presbyterian church, right? Yes, we are a Presbyterian church affiliated with KC. This Presbyterian Church has the Fourth Commandment of the Ten Commandments, which says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." We believe that this commandment means to worship God and to rest in Him, and thus we refer to Sunday as the Christian Sabbath. Therefore, the words about the Sabbath in today's passage also teach us how we should understand and spend our Sundays.
