Is your ox in the ditch?

©Millie McNabb

Yesterday on the way to church we saw the power company out working. It is unusual for public utilities work to be done on Sunday, or the weekend, unless it is an emergency.

One of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:8 is “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” I remember as a child when Albertsons made the decision to open on Sunday, and the church members were encouraged to boycott the store.

When we lived in the Seattle area, I read a comment about how “heathen” the northwest was, and wasn’t sure what the author was referring to. Soon thereafter, we moved to Maryland, and I was surprised when the realtor was excited that the mall was going to be open on Sundays. I was also surprised that the grocery stores weren’t open 24 hours a day. I guess I’d been with the heathens too long to know.

When Jesus encountered the Pharisees and their rules about the Sabbath, He asked them who wouldn’t rescue their ox if it fell in the ditch on the Sabbath (Luke 14:5.) We need to set aside a day of rest, yet not take that rest on as a burden. I once heard a preacher comment on the passage, “If your ox is in the ditch every Sunday, you need to either sell the ox or fill in the ditch.”

Our family used that phrase, “Is your ox in the ditch?” as a reminder to live an orderly life, taking time for a sabbath rest, rather than planning to do work that could be done during the six days of labor.

Have you had times when your ox was in the ditch every Sunday?

God bless…

Millie McNabb, B.A., B.Mus.

Strategies and support for parents who are intentionally raising children to become Christian adults. www.ChristianValuesLegacy.com