Excuse XXX
An Ox in a Ditch
Question:
Didn’t Jesus’ teaching about an ox in a ditch establish a precedent for dining out on the Sabbath?
~~~
When rationalizing the sin of dining out on the Sabbath, a prominent COG leader claims that because Jesus healed the sick on this day, he (this leader) may now seek out unbelievers who profane the holy and pay them for their Sabbath labor. As you read his point, it is important to understand that there is absolutely no prohibition in the scriptures (Old or New Testament) against healing on the Sabbath. However, there are multiple prohibitions against going out into spiritual Egypt and purchasing their goods, which is exactly what this pastor is advocating. He begins his point by citing the story of the Messiah healing a woman on the Sabbath and how He explained the role of compassion on this day.
As we will begin to see, from God's point of view, working on the Sabbath is not the stopping of work altogether of oneself, nor of others, but to draw attention as to what the work is, and why one is doing it on that day. It makes all the difference in the world.
The Lord then answered him, and said, You hypocrite, does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? Luke 13:15
So the question is this: If God, under certain circumstances, shows that meeting animal needs is required, what about human needs on the Sabbath? You see, Jesus is making a comparison that ought to be obvious to any one of us.
Blurring the Lines
What this Church leader is attempting to do is blur the lines between what Jesus did when healing those who suffered from a genuine physical affliction (one beyond their control), and what this minister wants to do because of the pleasure he derives from it.
This is a hugely self serving argument. It is made even more reprehensible because it attempts to exploit the Messiah's compassion for personal gain. In essence, this minister wants God's people to believe that going to a restaurant is the moral equivalent of taking care of a helpless animal, or, a helpless woman. In essence he is saying: "If Jesus would show compassion on the afflicted, he most certainly would show compassion on His people’s need for food on the Sabbath.” I this man’s logic sounds reasonable, consider what he doesn’t tell you.
God Almighty and Sabbath Meals
When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt He made provisions for their meals, He did so because He did not want them to go hungry. However, He also gave them specific instructions regarding those meals and His Sabbath. He declared, in words that are crystal clear, that His people were to gather their Sabbath day food on the sixth day—not the seventh (Ex. 16: 4-6). Additionally, He commanded them to prepare their Sabbath meals on the sixth day as well (v. 23).
We now come to the question of the day. What would have happened if the Israelites decided to gather their food on the Sabbath, instead of the sixth day? Would God show compassion because of their "NEED" for nourishment? Would He provide an alternate food source? NO! We know this because that very thing took place. Furthermore, the Almighty's reaction was anything but conciliatory. Not only did He allow them to go hungry that day (Ex. 16:27), but He also issued a blistering indictment against them. Notice what He said.
How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore He giveth you the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place. Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. (Ex. 16:28)
Here, God is rebuking the children of Israel for their failure to honor His Sabbath. Specifically, He was condemning their lack of preparation. In essence, God was conveying to His people three critical elements concerning eating on the Sabbath. These elements were as follows.
1) Food was not to be acquired on the Sabbath
2) Food was not to be prepared on the Sabbath
3) His people were not to leave “their place” on the Sabbath.
Regrettably, this minister claims that because God is compassionate, He now permits His people to engage in all three of those prohibitions. According to him, God's people may now go out into the world to seek out Sabbath-breakers and pay them to acquire and prepare their meals. In essence the Sabbath-breaker has become his alternate food source.
More Excuses
Despite the obvious Biblical prohibition against dining out on the Sabbath, this COG leader presses his point with another example of Christ's mercy. This time it involves healing a man with dropsy. He begins by quoting the Messiah's words.
And he answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? Luke 14:5
To extricate an ox from a cistern or a pit would cause a considerable amount of work when you think about how big those animals are, and that they would fall into a cistern.
Jesus is showing then that if that occurred, the life of the animal and probably the prosperity of the family is deemed more important than breaking the Sabbath through the hard labor of rescuing the animal from its agony and its fears.
Now for the Truth
Although this argument was addressed earlier it bears repeating. When Jesus gave this very important principle regarding the Sabbath, He was dining at the home of a prominent Pharisee. Also there was a man suffering from “dropsy,” an abnormal and painful accumulation of fluid in the tissue of the body. Some believe this man was placed in front of Jesus in an attempt to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. Others have suggested that Jesus Himself may have been responsible for the man being there in order to convey a significant point regarding His Sabbath regarding the role of compassion on this day.
What we do know is that Jesus seized upon this moment to teach a valuable lesson about compassion. He began by asking these religious leaders if it was wrong to heal on the Sabbath. When they did not answer Him, Jesus healed the man. Perhaps anticipating their reaction, Jesus posed another question:
Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? (Lk. 14:5)
The Messiah's question silenced these men because it not only appealed to their understanding of the scriptures, but also to rabbinical law which provided for such acts of mercy. By invoking the law, Jesus was cutting through all the potential arguments these men may have been crafting. However, His words and actions were saying much more. The point He was making was that sometimes life does not go according to plan. There can be unexpected twists and turns. In short: an ox can fall into a pit.
The action Jesus took illustrated that when there is genuine suffering or danger to life or property, God understands and even expects His children to take measures to correct the problem, even if it occurs on His Sabbath. In other words, save the ox.
The Ox in a Ditch Today
The principle of an ox in a ditch can be applied to situations that occur in our modern life as well. For example: there may be a time when the car breaks down or an injury occurs. These are not planned events. No one made a reservation to have an accident. It would be ridiculous to do so.
The point here is that the ox in a ditch is the exception, not the rule. What this long standing minister is suggesting is that the exception may now BE THE RULE. In other words, God's people may now actively orchestrate the exception. For example, they may decide that it would be a nice change from their Sabbath routine to dine out in three weeks. Therefore, they may make reservations at a nice restaurant and look forward to their ox falling into a pit. Does anyone honestly believe this was Jesus' intent when giving this teaching? To put this into perspective ask yourself, “How many times does an ox fall into a ditch?
Legitimate Exceptions
As was stated in a prior point, there are also times when purchasing something on the Sabbath might be appropriate based on the principle of an ox in a ditch. For example: suppose you are taking a Sabbath walk and notice an elderly gentleman has collapsed on the sidewalk. When you approach to offer assistance, he informs you that he is diabetic and asks if you could buy him a candy bar. Across the street is a convenience store and in your pocket is a five dollar bill. This is an ox in a ditch. This act is not about engaging in business on the Sabbath. It is about doing good on the Sabbath. This being the case, there may be times when it might be necessary to buy food on this day. But this should only take place in a genuine emergency where the alternative may be catastrophic.
Finally, when Jesus gave the lesson of an ox in a ditch, it was in the context of healing, not dining. The principle is there to be sure, but it is not to be manipulated. To do so would be a HUGE mistake. Those who use Jesus’ teaching to justify going to restaurants on the Sabbath should ask themselves, “Is it really an emergency?” Or is it possible that you are just exploiting for your own benefit the compassion and mercy of the very Savior who made provisions for dealing with a real tragedy that may arise on God’s holy Sabbath?
