The Pharisees were so busy enforcing their understanding of the Sabbath command as forbidding even trivial “work” like carrying a mat, they missed a much larger point. Jesus, who said, “The Sabbath was created for humans; humans weren’t created for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), told them that godly acts of blessing and healing were fully compatible with the Sabbath rest. God’s healing, sustaining work goes on full-time.

• Jesus’ intention in this story was not to undercut or deny the importance of the work-rest rhythm the Sabbath commandment taught. It was, though, to create a clearer sense that the rest God calls us to is not total inaction, as much as participation in the renewing, refreshing work of God. When have you been involved in an activity to bless others that left you rejuvenated and recharged for your regular routine?
• There was an ironic challenge to the Pharisees when Jesus said, “My Father is still working, and I am working too.” They claimed to believe God ruled all creation, and yet seemed to assume that, at least on the Sabbath, the world ran itself, with no sense of God’s power at work. What helps you to remember that, even when you may not have an immediate awareness of it, your heavenly Father is still working? What difference does it make to realize that Jesus is always working alongside you?