John 7:21-24
Jesus answered: I worked one miracle, and it amazed you. Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn't really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons in order to obey the Law of Moses. Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? Don't judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a little girl, most stores were not open on Sunday. There was a law, known as the “Blue Law” that prohibited the sale of certain items on Sunday, including groceries, clothing, and other items. We could go to a restaurant and eat, but we couldn’t go to a grocery store and buy a gallon of milk and a hunk of bologna! Sunday was truly considered a day of rest for many. I remember my mother finding me at the sewing machine one Sunday afternoon when I was a young teenager, and she asked, “You’re sewing on Sunday?”
While it’s too bad that some people have to work every single Sunday and have limited opportunities to attend church services, it’s also pretty hypocritical to say that it is okay for restaurant staff to serve us a meal… or for doctors and nurses to treat us in a hospital on Sunday, but it is wrong for people to sell baby food and other groceries, clothing, medicine, and more. Why was it acceptable for my grandfather to feed his livestock on Sunday morning before church, but considered questionable for me to spend Sunday afternoon between services sewing a new garment? I will tell you that my mother has changed her thinking about this through the years… as have many.
The bigger question… as posed by Jesus in Judea… is “Who are we to judge?” Do we assume that someone who works on Sunday doesn’t care about their faith? Just because we know someone who doesn’t attend services every time the doors are open, do we think they are a lesser Christian? Do we make all sorts of assumptions about those who don’t appear to be as active in the church as others? In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says some of the most important service ever done for the LORD is some of the seemingly most insignificant…and certainly least visible. In truth, is our judgment of someone who works on Sunday masking a more deep-seated judgment of that person in general? Like the people of Judea who were challenging Jesus, do we have a hidden agenda?
We cannot make judgments based on what day it is, or what we observe and hear. There is always so much more that we do not know. So often, we don’t have all the facts. Jesus is reminding us in this passage to judge what is right… to look at the outcome – the end result. Never judge based on appearance. Always remember that you don’t have all the facts and cannot assume anything. At the end of the day, only God can decide whether another is doing the right thing… living correctly and making the best use of his/her time.
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I can dash into the store after church on Sunday and pick up bread and milk. I’m thankful that there are people willing to work weekends… and I pray that they have a Sunday off here and there to be with their family and attend church if they wish. I’m grateful that someone is running a gas station, in case I need to fuel up on the Sabbath… and I honestly don’t think God minds if I spend my Sunday afternoon shopping instead of napping.
It is important that we know where we stand with God… and that we behave in a way that models the teachings of Jesus. But at the end of the day, nobody knows our heart but us and God. Surely we want others to remember this when they begin to judge us… and we must do the same in return.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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