Remember the Sabbath

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“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

How does the Lord want us to “remember the Sabbath day”? What does it mean to “keep it holy”? Think back to what the Lord did on the Sabbath day while He lived on earth. The gospels repeatedly tell us that the Lord entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and taught the people. One passage says: “As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). So, He showed us that the Sabbath is a time for learning about the Lord and worshiping Him—a time for remembering Him. But the Lord also healed many people on the Sabbath day, teaching us that: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11). So the Sabbath is also a time to focus on serving the neighbor. Finally, one more idea on how to keep the day holy  can be found in the meaning of the Hebrew word “Sabbath” which means rest. The Sabbath day is to be a day of rest—set apart from the other days of the week. Ideally, we will experience something of heavenly peace on the Sabbath.

The Story

Read Exodus 20:8-11.

Ideas for discussion

  1. Keeping the Sabbath has always been an important concept in Judaism and Christianity. In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were taught not to do any work on the Sabbath day.
  2. When the Lord came on earth, He expanded people’s concept of the Sabbath by His words and example. He healed many people on the Sabbath day and gleaned wheat for His hungry disciples. The Lord also went to synagogues to read the Word and teach people on the Sabbath.
  3. The teachings of the New Church give us further insight into how we should keep the Sabbath. It is a day for instruction about the Lord and His teachings, for thinking about our spiritual lives, for being kind to our neighbors.
  4. Think about the various things the Lord did on the Sabbath. How does this help us figure out the meaning of the commandment to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”? (See Luke 4:16 and Matthew 12:11 for two examples of things the Lord did while on earth.)
  5. What are some ways that we can look to the Lord and help other people on Sundays or on any day of the week?
  6. Consider these words written by Kurt Horigan Asplundh: “We keep the Sabbath holy when, at any time, in any situation, we act from the Lord’s will instead of from our own. In essence, what is taught about the Sabbath has no relation to a day or to any time, but to a state of mind. To remember the Sabbath day is to acknowledge the goodness of the Lord, to recognize that the Lord alone is the source of all that is good and to trust that He is the way, the truth, and the life.”

Read more about keeping the Sabbath day:

Projects and activities for various ages:

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