A funny thing happened to me the other day. I pulled into a parking space at the Applebees that I spend too much time at, and I parked next to a pretty sweet classic car that had the website of a Messianic community decaled on the back windshield. I admired the car as I went inside and sat down ignoring the masking restrictions. I took a quick survey of the room and saw two tall bar tables with three men at one table and three women at the other. My intuition told me that these were the ones that had the Messianic hot-rod outside. I put in my order for some fried cheese and a chicken quesadilla and decided that I would go introduce myself. I walked over, looked a them in the eye and zeroed in on the most confident looking man and said "that your ride out there?". "Yes" he said. "I parked next to you and admired it. I noticed the back windshield, might I ask as to what you all are doing for Sukkot?". We talked a little back and forth as they explained that they are staying local and that Sukkot will be mostly in homes with communal gatherings at their church/synagogue. Two of the men seemed eager to meet another believer in the area and genuinely wanted me to fellowship with them. They asked me about attending on the Sabbath, and I stated that I generally can't attend fellowship due to work, and thats when the third man crossed his arms and laid out a judgement "Working on the Sabbath...well...psh". The two men that were with him gave him a stern look as if to silence the third man, but it had seemed that the third had already chosen to not speak any longer with this "Sabbath breaker"
I glanced down at the man that no longer wanted to look at me and I casually mentioned how the priests do temple service and are blameless and how there is this caveat in scripture
5 He commanded them, saying, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, who come in on the sabbath and keep watch over the king’s house 6 (one third also shall be at the gate Sur, and one third at the gate behind the guards), shall keep watch over the house for defense. 7 Two parts of you, even all who go out on the sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king. 8 Then you shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes within the ranks shall be put to death. And be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”9 So the captains of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 The priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord. 11 The guards stood each with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. 12 Then he brought the king’s son out and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony; and they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”- 2 Kings 11
Yeshua healed on the Sabbath, Preservation of life is the greatest commandment, and it is widely understood that Police and Medical personnel have a duty to that preservation of life. This premise isn't a blank check to interpret all work as life or death to justify "going your own way/ seeking your own pleasure monetarily". What does scripture say happened with David
3 Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.” 4 The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 David answered the priest and said to him, “Surely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey; how much more then today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence which was removed from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place when it was taken away.Seems illegal... unless, you know, you're preserving Life.
As I look over and assess the interaction that I had with these men, I say that the contempt from the third man overshadowed the graciousness and warmth of the other two. I'll likely not not attend their services for reasons that were discussed about who they are and their style. I keep thinking about what would be the case if I was new to the area and knew so little about the Word of God and the appointed time of the Sabbath. What would that ignorant judgement of the third man have done? It would have isolated me from the community from the point that even if I had actually been guilty of transgressions of the Sabbath, They could have addressed then OR allowed the Holy Spirit of God to work within me in the body of other believers.
How often do we write off those that are trying to turn to God for not being as fluent in their walk with Him as WE think that they should be? How many times do we withhold fellowship and pass judgement upon those who we deem need the word of God, when in actuality it is us that is without understanding. Do we ask ourselves that enough?
