“It is not good for man to be alone”. You might have heard this verse (Genesis 2:18) being quoted at weddings, but it holds true for any kind of relationship, not only those between a husband and his wife. God did not design us to be individualistic beings, relationship and community are what He wants for us and though there are moments where He leads us into the wilderness to be alone with Him (Hosea 2:14), He does not want such times to last forever. Looking at Jesus’ life, during the Sabbath He was seldom alone. Instead, He spent most Sabbath days in the temple surrounded by people that He taught, healed, delivered, and celebrated with. Jesus enjoyed spending time with people, from intimate relationships like the one He had with His disciples to less intimate ones like when He was with crowds. He used every single occasion to minister to people and share the gospel of love to them, reconciling everyone who believed in his message to the Father. As a matter of fact, the theme verse for this devotional is a statement Jesus made on a Sabbath day, a few moments before healing a man with a withered hand (Matthew 12:8-14). By His actions and words, Jesus educates us all on what it truly means to keep the Sabbath. He demonstrates that it is not about blindly practicing one of the ten commandments, nor is it about avoiding work on a specific day from a specific time; it is and always has been about love and relationship: relationship to God, and to one another. It is about keeping the two greatest commandments, loving God and loving our brethren.

Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. – Mathew 22:36-40

Keeping the Sabbath only makes sense when its focus is on honouring God, and it can only be done properly through faith in Jesus. On day 3 of this plan, we talked about our relationship with God and how reconciliation with God was a fruit of the Sabbath. But our relationship with Him is not the only relationship He cares about. Therefore today, let’s explore relationship as a fruit of the Sabbath.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? – I John‬ 4‬:20‬‬‬‬‬

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another. – John‬ 13‬:34‬-35‬‬‬‬‬‬

It is quite hard, if not impossible to love someone you do not spend time with. Therefore, when God asks us to love one another as fellow disciples it involves spending time with one another, praying for one another and caring for one another with genuine kindness and concern. Looking at the early Church, they met daily to listen to the teachings of the apostles, ate together, and had all things in common (Acts 2:44-47). When others saw that Jesus’ disciples loved one another, they respected the disciples in fear, and the Lord added to their number daily. Discipleship by relationship. Do we want to see this happening again today?

Jesus has entrusted into our hands the ministry of reconciliation. Not that it is by our efforts that people are saved; they are saved through faith in Jesus. But how would they know about Him, His unconditional love, immeasurable sacrifice and crushing victory over sin and death if no one tells them? They won’t! Jesus has reconciled the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses. God is longing for these children bought by the blood of Christ to return to Him. And this will not happen without relationships at our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods involving believers sharing the Good News by their words and actions.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. – II Corinthians 5:20-21

As the fruit of relationship grows in us, let us always remember that we are in the world but not of it. So, in all our relationships let us not be overcome by evil, but rather evil by good. Avoiding or criticizing people never made them change, loving them does. Let us choose to show love actively to our neighbor, not forgetting to love God above everything else so we will not be tempted to compromise for the sake of any human relationship. We are the light of the world, let us shine bright while remembering that we are pilgrims on this earth, returning to our Father, and taking as many of our brethren with us as we can!

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:14,16

Prayer:

Lord, forgive us if we neglect our relationship with You and with one another. As You who are love dwell in us, we ask that we may love You with our whole beings, and love our neighbors as ourselves, as You commanded us. May the world see that we are Your disciples, as we love You and we love one another. Thank You, Lord, for listening to our prayers. In Jesus’ name, amen.