Sabbath and Doing Good

Mark 3 : 1 - 6

Today we have the same topic as last week — the observance of the Sabbath — but from a different angle. I think today’s title, “Sabbath & Doing Good”, is a good one because sometimes we understand the Sabbath incorrectly.

We live in European countries that emphasize “work–life balance.” But what is this “work–life balance” really about? You work hard — often at something you don’t truly enjoy — and it feels like a necessary evil, something you must do to feed your family. Because of that, you believe you need balance — something you can actually enjoy. You think you always deserve celebration, leisure, and free time after working hard.

Now, what does the Bible say about the Sabbath? It’s not about maintaining a dualistic balance between work and rest; it’s about the possibility of doing good. First, you enjoy the presence of God, and from the strength you receive there, you do good works.

Let’s think again about this principle: the possibility of doing good. Sabbath is not about “me time,” privacy, or balancing the pain of work, study, family, or ministry. If you see all those things as torture, you’ll always crave more “me time.” But that’s not what Jesus teaches about the Sabbath. Which is more restful — doing good, or doing nothing? If you see your responsibilities, whether in family, work, or church, as burdensome, you will not truly enjoy the Sabbath.

Look at the beautiful passage in Mark 3:1–6. Jesus entered the synagogue, where there was a man with a withered hand — a sick and needy man. If your paradigm is “I’ve worked hard, I can’t help anyone else,” you might say, “Not again! I don’t want to sacrifice myself for that person.” But that’s not what Jesus did. He gave the man an opportunity to be healed and to experience God’s work — even on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not about saying, “Don’t disturb me; this is my private time to worship.”

According to the church calendar, today is the 18th Sunday after Trinity, and the topic is the inseparable relationship between love for God and love for neighbor. If you say you love God but do not care for your brothers and sisters, then that is not the true love of God. The love of God finds its expression in the love of neighbor. That’s why, when we read the Ten Commandments, we can see that the worship of God and the love of others are inseparable. Our worship and churchgoing should not be a hindrance to blessing our neighbors, because this is not a private religious time for a so-called Christian. Rather, this is the opportunity — the very moment — when we can experience the depth of the love of God in Jesus and be reminded again of our calling to bless others. That is the meaning of life: to be able to bless our fellow human beings.

The more you care only for yourself, your own family, and your own problems, the more you lose yourself. This is Jesus’ teaching: “Whoever wants to save his or her life will lose it, but whoever surrenders his or her life to God will receive it abundantly.” Of course, this is a paradox. According to worldly standards, it sounds foolish — because people will say, “If you don’t care for yourself or your family, then who will?”

During the Baroque period, the composer Johann Sebastian Bach wrote “Jesus, help me” at the beginning of his music sheets and “Soli Deo Gloria” at the end. Later, Beethoven saw a similar note in another composer’s work and said, “Man, you should help yourself.” That shows two very different mindsets — one that relies on divine help, and one that trusts only in human effort.

Returning to Mark 3:1, the man with the withered hand could not help himself. There are many people like him today — unable to help themselves. We shouldn’t immediately assume their suffering is their own fault. Some are responsible for their situation, yes, but many are not. We must not generalize or judge.

Here lies the beauty of the Sabbath. When Jesus asked the Pharisees, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”, it sounded rhetorical. Of course, the answer is “to do good.” But ironically, at the end of this short pericope, we see that the self-righteous Pharisees went out and held counsel with the Herodians on how to destroy Him — in other words, to kill Jesus.

It’s not to be taken for granted that we will do good on the Sabbath day. Sometimes, instead of doing good, we end up causing harm — if not to others, then to ourselves. Yet seeing opportunities to do good is, in fact, doing good for ourselves, because that is where true rest is found.

When I ministered in Jakarta, I often preached four times on one Sunday. Some church members felt pity for me, but I told them that it was actually an opportunity to rest in God. What could be more restful than contemplating God’s Word and sharing it with others? What could be more restful than being at the center of God’s work?

However, the world thinks differently. It says, “Don’t do too much for others. You deserve holidays, restaurants, and travel.” Even in church life, we sometimes set boundaries that keep us from truly enjoying fellowship with God.

Consider John Hyde, a missionary to Punjab, India. He was not highly educated or eloquent, but he prayed continually. His colleagues called him “The Praying Hyde.” When I read a biography like this, I feel ashamed, because often when we, as Christians, plan to pray, we feel tired or in need of rest. That shows we haven’t yet learned to see prayer as rest, or doing good as a resting point. Unless we change our paradigm, we cannot understand the beauty of Christianity — and we will be no different from the world.

Let’s learn from Jesus. When we drink His blood spiritually, it means to let His life live in us. Our life is no longer “I,” but Jesus who lives in me. What does this mean? It means seeing the opportunities given by God to do good and to save life as resting points. This is true satisfaction. You won’t find joy in fulfilling selfish desires; that only leads to being unsatisfied, unhappy, and ungrateful.

I believe that on their deathbed, no one will think, “Why did I miss that Netflix series? Why didn’t I try that famous Vietnamese restaurant?” That’s not what people truly regret. Rather, many will regret that they did not become a channel of blessings — even for their own families. They will feel regretful because their lives were lived only for themselves.

There’s a story from the funeral of David Livingstone. A man wept bitterly, and when asked why, he said he had once dedicated his life to be a missionary like Livingstone but never fulfilled that calling. Now, as an old man, it was too late. Livingstone went to Africa and became a blessing to many, but this man had lived only for himself.

Do you see satisfaction in that kind of life? No. That is a wasted life. Our lives are precious not because of who we are, but because Jesus died for us. So let us serve God and love our fellow human beings deeply. Let’s squeeze and give ourselves — not because we love suffering, but because we understand the depth of God’s love. Nothing compares to what Christ has done for us.

May God bless us. (G.N.S)