Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
This passage of scripture describes for us the erroneous concepts of Sabbath keeping that were being held and enforced by the Jewish leaders of Christ's day, and also the pernicious results which always follow extreme, fanatical views which do not have any foundation in the scriptures. On this occasion in question the disciples were on their way either to or from a missionary journey, and being consumed with the task of soul saving, they became hungry and began to pluck the ears of corn to satisfy their needs. This represented no violation of the Sabbath for it was not premeditated, and therefore they were not guilty of any deliberate sin. Furthermore, they were in company with Christ, The Lord of the Sabbath, and therefore if any correction on the issue needed redress, Jesus would have dealt with it, since He is higher than any earthly authority.
These fanatical ideas harbored by the scribes and pharisees came about as a result of not having the genuine love of God in their hearts, and as always when this is the case, they became rigid and meticulous in instituting additional terms and conditions to God's law that God had never imposed, thereby making the Sabbath more of a burden than a delight. Now it is true that wherever possible, proper preparation and provision for our Sabbath meals should be done before hand, for The Lord gave us these instructions in Leviticus chapter 16. But when on account of unforeseen circumstances, we become preoccupied with the administration of the gospel commission over the Sabbath hours, it is not God's will that we should starve ourselves if food is readily available, for the Sabbath was made for the benefit of man, not for our demise.
The basic concept of Sabbath keeping is to spend as much quality time with our Creator, and with one another in worship, in fellowship, and in missionary endeavors for the salvation of our fellowmen. It is also scriptural to spend some time out in nature where we would be surrounded with God's creative works, and thereby be in the frame of mind to contemplate His matchless love in providing every blessing for our sustenance and well-being. The Sabbath should not be made a burden so that we dread the coming of the sacred hours as being a restriction on our freedoms. This erroneous view represents a warped understanding of the purpose of God in giving us the Sabbath day. On the contrary it should be a day that we look forward to with eager anticipation, knowing that the presence of God will pervade the sacred hours, and result in rejuvenating us with blessings, and strengthening us to face the challenges of the upcoming week.
Whatever is done in harmony with the spirit of these fundamental principles, will be in harmony with proper Sabbath keeping, and our souls will find delight in the presence of The Lord, as ought to be the case. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that encourages us enjoy the Sabbath day as God had originally ordained, for as Christ Himself stated, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath". Let's read:
Psalms 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
May The Lord enable us to have a better understanding of His purposes in giving us the Sabbath, and may we always delight ourselves in Him. God bless!