Daily Lesson for Sunday 31st of May 2026
It had been a very busy week. Although she knew there was a lot to be done before Sabbath, the urgent seemed to consume the important, and before she knew it, the sun had gone down. The family shared a special Friday night meal and worship together.
But when Sabbath morning came and she woke up early, she couldn’t help noticing the dirty bathroom, which she wiped down. Then she saw that her young son had wet the bed, so she threw his sheets into the washer with other clothes. As she prepared breakfast for her family, she realized there was no dessert for lunch, so she quickly baked some banana bread. She saw that her husband needed a shirt ironed for church, so she did that, too, then folded some clothes and took out the trash.
And then it hit her. It’s Sabbath—a day I love more than any other! Yet here I am, doing all these chores and allowing these things to distract me from what Sabbath is really about—drawing near to God.
Image © Phil McKay at Goodsalt.com
For just a moment, her mind started justifying her actions—these were all things that needed doing. Were they really? She realized that she was acting like Martha, “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40, NKJV), but the words of Jesus echoed in her mind: “ ‘You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’ ” (Luke 10:41-42, NKJV). That good part. Sitting at Jesus’ feet out of a deep love for Him—not just on Sabbath, but every day. She hadn’t chosen that this morning.
She loved God, yet it was easy to forget that He had given her the Sabbath as a gift in time to make their relationship stronger. Silent tears fell from her eyes as she stood there in the kitchen.
The purpose of this example is not to focus on what we should or shouldn’t do on Sabbath; rather it is a reminder of why it’s important for us to notice the things that weaken or break down our relationship with God. When our hearts feel the pain of sin and separation and we call out to Him, Jesus is very close (Psalms 53:2). In His bloodstained hands, He holds a white robe. He sees our tears of repentance and takes away our dirty clothes. He then wraps His pure robe of righteousness all the way around us. His purity covers our confessed sin—completely and perfectly. We can wash our robe in His blood (Revelation 7:14).
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How do Isaiah 64:6, Zechariah 3:4, and Isaiah 61:10 reveal the important truth of Christ’s righteousness to us? Why must we always cling fervently to what God promises us in these verses? |
