What constitutes Sabbath rest, and what constitutes work? Jesus, again, offers us clear teaching on this particular question. In Mark 3:4, Jesus asks a question that summarizes the purpose of the Sabbath: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Sabbath is, for Jesus, about doing good and not evil, saving life, not killing. Our family has summed it up like this: Is the activity in question life giving, or is it life taking? That is, does it bring us life, rest, hope, wholeness? Or does it drain us, pour us out, stress us, or load us down?
