Today I read Luke 6 which is basically a mini-version of the Sermon on the Mount as well as Jesus talking to the Pharisees about what is lawful to do on the Sabbath. He also calls and sets apart His Apostles in this chapter. Reading this chapter has made me wonder, did the Pharisees ever work, or do anything at all productive? They seem to always be around the Savior and causing trouble. Now, I realize that there were probably thousands of Pharisees in Israel when Jesus was a live, but it just seems ridiculous he way they never left Him alone. Now, it could also just be the way the scriptures are written. We established yesterday that obviously not everything that the Savior did is recorded in the scriptures so perhaps they were not nearly as invasive and pervasive as the scriptures make them out to be.
The Pharisees had a problem with the Savior and His Apostles doing "work" on the Sabbath day, namely picking, shucking and eating corn, and then later healing a man with a withered hand. It honestly reminded me of my first Sunday in the mission field. I don't know how it is today, but when I was in the Missionary Training Center, Sunday's were very laid back and were almost a second preparation day with how much free time you are given. Well when I went out into the mission field and was with my trainer, we went to church that first Sunday and then got fed lunch by a member and I asked him what was next, if we were going back to the apartment. He replied that we had lots to do and we might even do some tracting. I was a little shocked as this was very different from the MTC and stated that it was the Sabbath. His reply has stayed with me all these years. He replied back saying, "Isn't this the Lord's work?"
Despite all the rules and commandments we follow as Latter-day Saints, perhaps nothing gives me more weird looks than when I explain what keeping the Sabbath day holy to me and other Latter-day Saints means. Even my good, go to church every Sunday Christian friends look at me askance when I tell them that we do not spend money, work, or cause anyone else to work on the Sabbath as part of keeping it holy. This is because the world views Sunday as a party day, and even if they go to church on Sunday, which is rare in most places, they feel they have done their dues and now they don't have to think about God or church again for another week.
I don't know when or where it happened, but somewhere along the way, Americans stopped treating their religion with the respect and honor it deserves. I was sitting here thinking about it, and I thought of those that adhere to the Muslim faith. Now, there are of course those zealots that go too far, but those aside, those men and women who adhere to the Muslim faith, take it very seriously and are extremely devoted. They are a good example to the rest of us and how we should give our faith more attention. It's sad that Christians, generally speaking of course, don't take their faith more seriously. They might go to church on Sunday, although the vast majority don't, but that's where keeping the Sabbath day holy ends for them.
We could learn a thing or two from those of other faiths who actually follow the adherents of their religion and live it like they should. The Muslim faith may have gotten a bad rap from those zealots who use their faith to commit atrocities, but the vast majority of those who follow the Muslim faith are good, upstanding people who follow the tenets of their religion with a zeal to be envied. Even Latter-day Saints could be better about following the commandments, especially about keeping the Sabbath day holy. It is one of those commandments God has intentionally not given us a long list of dos and don'ts so that we can use our judgment and grow.
As we do the Lord's work on the Sabbath day, we will grow in righteousness and the rest of the week will be easier. It truly is meant as a day of rest from the cares of the rest of the world. If we treat it as such, we will be amazed at what it does for us in our daily lives. Until tomorrow.
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