Well, Thomas, I'm not totally sure how you feel about it. Sometimes you strike me as a liberal (soft on sin), and at other times you seem like a conservative (law abiding). So, I don't know what you believe about buying and selling meals in a restaurant on the Sabbath.

Regarding my two questions posted above, I suspect you would answer 1) Jewish perversions of Sabbath-keeping cannot be used to justify anything, and 2) grabbing grain and eating it as you pass by a field does not justify buying and selling meals in a restaurant on the Sabbath.

Did I get it right?

I would categorise rules against buying a meal on sabbath as an adventist perversion of sabbath-keeping. By what you write above, such perversions do not justify anything.
Rules against buying a meal on sabbath is akin to rules against grabbing grain and eating it as you pass by a field on sabbath.

Sometimes I strike you as soft on sin, you say. Would that be when I am talking about God's grace?
And sometimes I strike you as law abiding, you said. Would that be when I am talking about the christian dicipline of holiness?
There is some truth to be found in each ditch, the trick is just not to get stuck there.

TV: There is some truth to be found in each ditch, the trick is just not to get stuck there.

MM: Amen.

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TV: Sometimes I strike you as soft on sin, you say. Would that be when I am talking about God's grace?

MM: Sometimes I get this impression when you talk about Christian standards.

TV: And sometimes I strike you as law abiding, you said. Would that be when I am talking about the christian dicipline of holiness?

MM: I usually get this impression when you talk about the importance of imitating the example of Jesus, of the importance of obeying God's law like Jesus did.

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Thank you, Thomas, for sharing your perspective on buying meals in a restaurant on the Sabbath. Do you apply the principle to selling meals on the Sabbath? In other words, do you think Jesus would be cool with you owning and operating a restaurant and selling meals on the Sabbath?

Yes, Jesus Christ is the center of christianity and any christians life. "Christian standards" however may and may not be Christs standards. Hmm, I suppose any other answer than "yes, He would be" would be double standard on my part. Yet, if I owned and operated a restaurant, would I work there sabbaths? Propably not. Oh well...

TV: Yes, Jesus Christ is the center of christianity and any christians life. "Christian standards" however may and may not be Christs standards.

MM: Amen! Fortunately for us we have Jesus as our example.

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TV: Yet, if I owned and operated a restaurant, would I work there sabbaths? Propably not. Oh well...

MM: A double standard, indeed, but I totally agree with your decision not to work in a restaurant selling meals on the Sabbath. However, I am curious about one thing - Why not?

västergötland, what storybook did you read that in? I don't recall reading a story in Scripture as you describe it. Are you perhaps reading from a paraphased verson?

I do recall reading in KJV of Scripture a text a that perhaps you could be referring to the twelfth chapter of Matthew? In verse one is see a slight simularity to your story.


I fail to see any business being conducted, agribusiness or otherwise. Just some men relieving there hunger.

I see what they were doing more like when a group from church is on a hike on a Sabbath afternoon, and spot some berries and pick and eat. We don't mash them up add sugar, cook them and make jam.

If I owned the restaurant, I would be the one deciding such things, I'd propably rest it all on sabbaths? Why? The most honest answer is, I think, my adventist upbringing.

Either Matthew 12 or maybe Mark 2. And in adition to that commentaries I heard on the cultural differences between us and them. In other words, what I wrote is what was between the lines for those involved. Read the following verse aswell.

2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

What you regard as a church event was then regarded as a breach of the sabbath commandment. They thought that the messiah would come if all of israel were to keep all the commandments perfectly for one week. Of course this is a difficult goal so to be sure they hedged in every possible breach of sabbath. So here they see the diciples of this rabbi break the sabbath by performing all of these steps connected to farming. In extention performing farming themselves. And thus preventing the arrival of the messiah. Of course they got all of this wrong. The question is, What have we got wrong? Might rules against buying a meal on sabbath be among them?

Thanks for clarifying, I learned something new.


Just an observation, Jesus and the disiples, in their so called "farming activites", harvested and prepared the food for themselves and didn't ask another to do so. They didn't require another to "break the law" in order to feed themselves. Each did so for their own need.

Wasn't Jesus teaching in Matthew 12, that the service of God is first of all?

To borrow from Ellen.

"The object of God's work in this world is the redemption of man; therefore that which is necessary to be done on the Sabbath in the accomplishment of this work is in accord with the Sabbath law." DA 285

As far as what we do on the Sabbath; perhaps we should just take more delight in it.

"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." Isa. 58:13, 14.

Good thinking Crater. Maybe you want to listen to a sermon on feast (as in party) theology?