The Question: “Which one of you who has a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not take hold of it and lift it out (Matt 12:11)?”
The Question in Context:
Ok, raise your hand if you would do this on the Sabbath, or on Sunday. I know I 
would. If you haven’t read my last post, click here, since that will give you a quick background on the setting for this question. In short, the Pharisees are trying desperately to trap our Lord into some misstep of Hebraic Law. But He is too quick and too bold for them. He fears neither their knowledge nor their power because He is Lord of the Sabbath.
The Question to You and Me.
This question at first, seems less aimed at you and me. We are not Pharisees, and as much as I would love to have some sheep at my orchard, I’m just not there yet. The question, taken in view of our current life situation, is not aimed at permissiveness, but rather it is aimed at legalism and scrupulosity.
Should you shop on Sundays? What if you need food for the kid’s lunches for Mon? What if you are travelling? Does eating at restaurants count? Movie theatres? What about fundraisers for a good cause? The list could go on.
My question to myself is more directed toward where I think the Lord of the Sabbath was pointing – The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mk 2:27).” We should seek to orient the Sabbath to The Lord, His Worship, our families. This is not an exhaustive list. I find it interesting that in the creation story, Man is made first, then the Sabbath (Gn 2:1-3). .
So, Is it a sin to shop on Sunday?
What’s the real good that God contemplated in creating the Sabbath? Should we shop on MON-SAT to avoid shopping on Sunday? Really, yes we should. But what if I discover on Sunday that little Festus needs baloney or peanut butter for his Monday lunch? Then maybe we should look through our substantial larders and see if we can come up with a creative alternative. But what if the baby needs formula or medicine to get through the night, then go to the store, silly.
This is not a “to do” or “not to do” under the threat of condemnation for sin, but rather it’s a way to discipline yourself to build a margin into Sundays for God-time, relaxation and family time.
Remember, the concept of sin is built around the word picture of missing the target. So don’t drive yourself crazy with it, but I recommend trying to be more observant toward your day of rest. Allow yourself to rest in God. Allow yourself time to lazily get to Church. Take your time getting home. Take a nap. Walk with God in the cool of the day. While you are out walking, if you happen to come upon one of your sheep that falls into a well….you’ll know what to do.