Jehoshua Gross was determined to keep the Sabbath holy—at any cost. The
twenty-seven-year-old devout Jew from London was running late to make it
home before sundown on Friday night, the beginning of his day of
worship.
Speeding down the freeway for “prolonged periods,” Gross
crashed into the back of a truck. But the accident didn’t stop the
determined Sabbath keeper. He kept on driving, often on the shoulder to
pass vehicles. Some parts of his car even fell off before another
motorist informed police and he was stopped and arrested.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, was banned from driving for fifteen months, and was fined over $500.
While
Gross’ desire to honor the Sabbath might be admirable, his method of
carrying out his conviction was questionable—especially as he put
people’s lives at risk. The Bible does not always give us detailed steps
on how to keep God’s law. We read the basic principle in the
commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you
shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of
the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor
your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your
cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates” (Exodus 20:8–10).
Most
people in modernized societies like London do not have servants or
cattle. So we must take the general principles of Scripture and apply
them today. While secular labor is clearly forbidden on the Sabbath, the
teaching does not mean total inactivity. There are many examples in the
Bible of caring for the needs and alleviating the suffering of both
humans and animals. (See Exodus 23:12; Matthew 12:10–13; Mark 2:27;
etc.).
Sabbath keepers will certainly honor God’s holy day by
avoiding secular recreation and secular work. Different circumstances
shape exactly how this is applied. When Jesus was accused of “breaking”
the Sabbath, He was setting aside only the traditions of religious
leaders, not God’s law. Traditions do not always honor the heart of the
Sabbath commandment.
Perhaps the best thing for Jehoshua Gross
would be to plan ahead. Putting his family and others at risk by
reckless driving does not honor God. Better to apologize to his family,
drive home safely, and determine to make better plans for keeping the
Sabbath holy.
“How can someone keep the Sabbath in space?” Get an answer by
clicking here.