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Gospel: Luke 14: 1-6
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I studied Russian in college. One of my professors grew up behind the Iron Curtain. She often told stories about the dreariness of Communism, the long lines for bread, the rationing of food, the relentless propaganda, and indoctrination of children.
But one thing she brought with her when she emigrated to the United States was the idea of rest. “Here,” she said, “I have to work 24/7. If an email is sent on a Saturday and I don’t respond to that person immediately, then they wonder why!”
This was 20 years ago.
“Work,” she said, “happens during the week. On weekends, we should be free.”
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Jews held a similar idea of the Sabbath. It was a day of rest, honoring the seventh day of creation, when God rested from his labors. No work was permitted; not even charity.
Yet, in today’s Gospel, Jesus heals someone for the third time on the Sabbath, asking, “Is it lawful to cure or not?” The heart of the issue is not about a rule, but the rule breaker.
Jesus’ interpretation of Jewish laws differed from the scribes and Pharisees. To them, he represented a potential mass movement away from their school of thought, compromising their authority.
Jesus believed that certain things like charity are not simply permitted on the Sabbath, but required.
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What might this mean for us today? As Christians, should we honor the Sabbath? Do we need it?
Absolutely. But not just for religious reasons; many also need to rediscover the idea of genuine rest.
For example, when was the last time we spent a day – or even a few hours – without our phones? How long does it take before we start scrolling through social media?
When was the last time we took a stroll through a park, paused to watch an eagle soar, called a friend just to talk, or read a book without interruption?
I need the Sabbath. Perhaps we all do. These days, what should be considered “unlawful” should be all of the stressful – even if good – tasks that take up our time during the rest of the week. We’re not machines; we’re human.
Find a few hours – even a day – for authentic rest this week. Doing so will not only honor the Lord, but also our often overexerted selves.
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Image credits: (1) Community Church of East Gloucester (2) X (3) Pastor Unlikely