Is it considered a work of necessity/mercy, if a brother/sister is need concerning, say, lawn clean up, and you take care of this on the Lord's Day, knowing there will be not time for doing so in the week? Mind you, I'm speaking of someone who is physically incapable of doing this themselves.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules-Signature Requirements-Suggestions?

Josh,

If you are the only person available to do such an act of mercy, I see no problem with it. Of course, it would be better is someone else could do it on another day of the week.

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B.B.
Elder
GBC

Deo volente

Yes, this is what I mean. In other words, due to Providence, there would be no other time or option to take care of this. Sorry if I didn't make my qualification clear enough.

No, you did. I just added the caveat that it would be best to try and have it done on another day of the week, but if that wasn't possible it would be perfectly permissible since it's a act of mercy on behalf of someone who cannot do it themself.

From a strict Sabbatarian POV, it would be unlawful to do the lawns because there is no real necessity involved where the person or propery is not in immediate danger. It's only a perceived necessity on the basis of modern maintenance standards. The principle is that we are to finish our works in six days.

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Yours sincerely,


"Illum oportet crescere me autem minui."

As I understand your question, this is a person who can not do the work themselves, and really needs it to be done as soon as possible. My week is "booked" so that the only time to do it is Sunday afternoon. Is it a work of mercy?

I would say, YES--it is a work of mercy and therefore could be done on the Sabbath.

But, it would not be my first choice...and I would (and have in the past) rearrange my week so that I could do it on Monday, regardless of what I had planned previously for that day.

But, perhaps that's just me. My family has gotten use to idea that this deacon sometimes puts such mercy needs of God's people ahead of some other duties and responcibilities. It is a sacrifice we are sometimes called to make for the advancement of His kingdom. ANd since it involves yardwork, I would most likely have my son working along-side me. It is good to teach our children that the needs of God's people come before our own.

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Sterling Harmon
Coventry, CT
PCA
Deacon
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"Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
-- John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.

"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
-- Martin Luther, Table Talk

If the person is physically incapable of cutting the grass on Sunday, then he is physically incapable of cutting the grass on Monday, too. Surely there must be someone around who could do this chore on one of the other six days of the week.

Perhaps, instead of doing it yourself on Sunday and, being unable to do it during the week, you could volunteer to hire someone to do it during the week.

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Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.stacksobooks.blogspot.com
www.reiterations.wordpress.com

A perfect autobiography would be an anticipation of the Day of Judgment. - George Saintsbury (1845-1933)

Practical wisdom is often profoundly simple.

I would not consider yard work of any kind to be Sabbath Day work. As was said above, this "necessity" is laid upon us not by the Lord, but by modern standards of "curb appeal". Further, this kind of thinking often ends up as the ground of justifying all kinds of "works of necessity or mercy" that really are not. The Lord makes it clear in Isaiah 58.13 to refrain from trampling on His Holy Day--a proper reverence for the Sabbath Day will not prevent one from doing true works of mercy, such as carrying a meal to a shut in, and while there engaging in Godly conversation, etc. or emergency aid to persons or even animals, where delay would mean disaster. But if we remember that the first duty of the Sabbath is *worship* then the rest will be handled more properly, and we'll not look for "works of necessity or mercy" that take our minds and labors off of that delightful first duty.

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Rev. Todd Ruddell
Pastor, Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCGA)
Wylie, TX
www.christcovenantreformedpc.org

Our best marks can contribute nothing to our justification, ...that is proper to faith. Faith cannot lodge in the soul alone, and without other graces; yet faith alone justifies before God.--G. Gillespie

Is mowing a lawn or cleaning up the house really a necessity; it is certainly desirable, but that is not the same as being absolutely necessary (like eating).

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)
http://reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com/
The Regulative Principle of Worship: Explained and Applied (Xulon Press)
A Conquered Kingdom: Biblical Civil Government (Reformed Worldview Books)

I don't think it falls under the category of necessity, but surely it falls under the category of mercy. If this is a way in which you can be of benefit to your neighbor, and show mercy then I would do it placed in that position.

Necessity and mercy are in two different categories. Jesus could have waited a day before healing but he healed on the sabbath because it was an act of mercy not necessity.

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Bryan Riddle
1689 London Baptist Confession
Bethel Baptist Church Owasso, Oklahoma

I voted "no". It is not an act of necessity or mercy. Many good reasons against it being an act of necessity have already been made. I find Fisher's Catechism (a catechsim upon a catechism!) to have useful definitions of what is a work of necessity and what is a work of mercy against those who might make these categories too elastic.

Q. 36. What is to be understood by works of necessity?

A. Such as could not be foreseen, nor provided against the day before, nor delayed till the day after the Sabbath.

Q. 37. What instances may be given of such works of necessity on the Lord's day?

A. Flying from, and defending ourselves against an enemy; quenching of fire, accidentally or wilfully kindled; standing by the helm, or working a ship at sea, (provided they do not weigh anchor, nor hoist sail from harbours or firths, on the Lord's day,) and the like.

Q. 38. What are the works of mercy which may be done on the Sabbath?

A. The moderate refreshment of our bodies, Luke 6:1; visiting the sick, preparing and administering remedies to them, Luke 13:16; feeding our cattle, ver. 15; and preserving their lives, if in danger, chap, 14:5; and making collections for the poor, 1 Cor. 16:2.

Q. 39. What cautions are requisite about works of necessity and mercy?

A. That these works be real, and not pretended; that we spend as little time about them as possible; and that we endeavour to attain a holy frame of spirit while about them.

Q. 40. How does it appear that works of necessity and mercy are lawful on the Lord's day?

A. Because, though God rested from his work of creation on the seventh day, yet he did not rest on it from preserving what he had made.

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Rev. Adam King
Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPCUS)
Lyndon, VT
www.vt.wpcus.org