Sabbath

"Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.  And he said to the man who had the withered hand, 'Come forward.' Then he said to them, 'Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?' But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was restored."  Mark 3:1-5

There were a lot of Pharisees around when I was growing up, those nosy Parkers who spent their day of rest making sure everyone was toeing the line on Sunday.  True, one restaurant could be open, as well as one drug store (for emergencies), with both types of businesses taking turns.  But everyone else better mind their manners.  Movie houses were closed, main street looked like a ghost town, and your parents might get a call if their kids were seen in the front yard playing any sort of game (apparently, Sunday's boundaries did not include backyards).  

Yes, those were different times and, thank God, most of those restrictive rules are gone.  Though like so many other things today, there is a nostalgic longing to go back to those good ol' days.  After all, if every other option in town was closed, no wonder the places of worship were so full.  It was not so much about faith perhaps, but that was where folks, especially kids, could hang out with their friends on those long Sundays.

I am not sure if we understood what Sabbath was truly about back then, and maybe we haven't made much progress in all those decades since.  Yes, it is about rest.  Holy rest, sacred rest, renewal of one's soul.  Sometimes we get it by gathering in worship with others, or sharing in a meal, going on long hikes, reading a book, sitting in silence, or even taking a nap.  Not just on Sunday but whatever day we use for Sabbath keeping.

But in doing these things, and others, are we really paying attention to what observing Sabbath is all about, are we listening and discovering what Jesus is trying to emphasize in this encounter?  It seems to me that we are focusing more about what we are doing then what Jesus is saying in a new way about the Sabbath.  Maybe, in our own way, we are devising different ways to keep this commandment as a way to earn points with God, rather than hearing Jesus telling of how the Beloved Community is bursting forth in our very midst, and we need to stop getting out of the way.

Maybe our insistence (and it comes across across that way at times) that every believer find some time to keep Sabbath is simply a new rule replacing an old one.  Maybe the higher judicatories of churches making sure that religious workers are taking 'Sabbath time' is simply a new regulation then an encouragement of a spiritual discipline.  Maybe we preachers are creating some sort of litmus test when we inquire about what our people are doing to improve their spiritual life. 

None of these efforts are wrong, but I worry about how they might become barriers to the renewing work of healing, justice, restoration, and hope that Jesus focused on in his life and ministry.  Perhaps the challenge is the same as it has always been, of discovering how we can find and reclaim that marvelous rhythm of work and rest which Sabbath is meant to offer, recognizing that there are those times when work takes priority, but also being aware of those moments (which more often than not are not planned) when our hearts, our bodies, our souls simply sat 'rest.'

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman