RELAX, OR DIE!

"I have never taken any exercise, except sleeping and resting, and I never intend to take any." - Mark Twain

A Brooklyn father came home to find that a house fire had killed seven of his eight children, and critically burned his wife and surviving child. The house, itself, was a total loss. The cause of the fire was a malfunctioning hot plate that sparked a fire, that rapidly spread, trapping the children in their bedrooms. The hot plate was left on for the Sabbath, which lasts from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Many religious Jews use a hot plate to keep food warm, obeying the traditional prohibition the use of fire on the holy day as well as work in all forms, including turning on appliances.

The law on lighting a fire on the Sabbath leaves us with a decision - we either obey the law, or be put to death. Not physical death anymore as was the case, but eternal death. And being put to death isn't a punishment for lighting a fire but neglecting the finished work of Christ
on the cross. We must turn to God for grace - this search for grace is where Jesus comes into the picture. He came to be our Sabbath-our rest-from the demands of the law.

Beloved, "anyone who works on that day must be put to death," is a command that seems to be saying, "relax or die!" But, it's important to note that "relax or die!" makes perfect sense with Jesus, at the heart of the ritual, but makes absolutely none without Him. Jesus is the Sabbath rest from the impossible demands of the law which we all need. Are you relaxing in His will so that you don't die that eternal death?