Sabbath

Most of you already know this but my wife Anne and I have a grandson named Ezekiel. Ezekiel is definitely the most known parishioner in our family. Whether it is waving a plastic sword and running down the aisle during a recreation of a biblical event or shutting the gate in front of the alter and not letting anybody through during another recreation, it seems everyone has an Ezekiel story.

At our house, we often play board games and like most kids his age, he is very competitive and he makes a point of understanding the rules to whatever game he plays. As we are playing the game, Ezekiel will sometimes do something in the game that doesn’t seem right to which he will protest “The rules do not say I can’t do this!”. I say with not a small amount of pride that Ezekiel would give the Pharisees fits, if he ever met one.

In today’s reading, we have the story of Jesus and the apostles in a field on the day of Sabbath. The apostles are hungry, so they are picking the grain from the wheat and eating it. This eating of grain on someone else’s field was considered legal as long as you were not cutting down the wheat with a scythe. However, even in this seemingly innocent moment, the Pharisees are here and they are not happy. They tell Jesus that this is the Sabbath day and it was against Jewish law to work on the Sabbath. Now, the obvious question that we might be asking ourselves is this. If we are hungry, is picking grain from a wheat field really work? Jesus avoids this technicality but instead, offers a more powerful argument. David (probably the most revered King in all of Jewish history) violated this rule when he and his companions were hungry.

Jesus, then, goes into the Synagogue where there is a man with a withered hand. Of course, the Pharisees are following him to see what he will do. Jesus not only heals the man with the withered hand but looks directly at the Pharisees while he is healing the man and says “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?”. The Pharisees know the answer but refuse to state so out of pride and that makes Jesus angry. 

There are three key points that I find that I would like to share with you this morning because this is what makes our reading relevant to today.

First, is the Heart of the Sabbath:

Legalism vs. Love: Jesus was demonstrating that the Sabbath is not about rigid rules but about honoring God and showing love to others. In doing so, he put love and compassion above rules and the law.

Sabbath as a Gift: Just as God rested, the Sabbath was given as a gift for rest, worship, and renewal. Now, I understand that many people need to work on the Sabbath day because that is when their work schedule says they are to work. You are not legally bound to not work on the Sabbath. Indeed, you can make another day of the week your Sabbath Day for rest, worship and renewal. God’s gift to each of us has no expiration date.

Restoring Relationships: While we view the Sabbath as a day of rest and renewing our relationship with God. It is also a day to renew our relationship with others. We are doing this right now at this very moment. I believe God wants us to be in communion. Not just with God but with one another.

Finally, and this may be the most important point, Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath: Jesus shows us through his words and actions that he is the authority on the Sabbath and not just the Sabbath but the law as well. This is stated in the first Chapter of John’s gospel where in the first verse it says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John continues in verse 14 “'And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. Do you see? Jesus is the authority because he is the word made flesh. In Jesus, we can rest and renew instead of worrying about which of man’s laws are we breaking.

So I want to leave you with a couple of suggestions concerning the Sabbath.

We can start by rediscovering the Sabbath. Enjoying the gift or rest and renewal that comes with the Sabbath. Use it as a means to recharge you physical, emotional and spiritual batteries so that you are fully charged to embrace the world.

Finally, in your interactions on the Sabbath, extend compassion, healing, and love as you enjoy your day of rest. Look to Jesus as your guide when doing this and look for opportunities be God’s heart and smile in a world that needs both so badly.

So I will leave you this morning with a question. What will you do on this beautiful Sabbath day today? Amen.