August 24 | Pentecost 11, Year C
Jeremiah 1:4-10 or Isaiah 58:9b-14
Psalm 71:1-6 or Psalm 103:1-8
Hebrews 12:18-29
Luke 13:10-17I
In the Old Testament, work was prohibited on the Sabbath. For the rabbis, work is an action that requires changing the natural, material world. In that way work is creative—by changing something, you are remaking it or creating something new from it. This is the labor in which we imitate God’s creativity. For example, cutting down a tree changes the woody plant into lumber, and by cutting down trees, you create a pasture from a forest. Likewise, it is work to write because by writing you turn a piece of paper into a message. This prohibition against creating or improving the creation is based on the activity of God in creating the world.
Furthermore, if we are made in the image of God, we are to reflect his action in the world. Therefore, we too should refrain from creating or improving creation on one day out of seven—that is, we should not perform acts that require changing the natural, material world. The rationale behind the commandment to honor the Sabbath Day is that, as God’s people, we are to reveal his nature to the world—not by our work, but by both enjoying and manifesting God’s work.
Another key idea for the proper understanding and observance of the Sabbath comes from God’s redemption of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Through the great story of the Exodus, God teaches us about his will for his people—that they experience both freedom and peace. God’s redeeming of Israel from the fruitless labor of slavery is a direct manifestation of his desire for us to be free from bondage. But the Passover also illustrates that through the blood of the Lamb we experience peace with God. So, in the Old Testament, peace and freedom are associated with the Sabbath, as is the rest from labor.
Jesus is our Passover, as well as the Lamb of God—therefore, he is the One who brings us freedom from bondage, peace with God, and liberation from the need to labor fruitlessly for our salvation. Jesus is at the center of the Sabbath. In Jesus, we find the truth about the Sabbath and God’s rest. God rested from creating the world on the seventh day because that work was completed. But God did not stop interacting with the creation and his creatures. After the Fall, thanks be to God, he continued to work. Rather than creation, God’s work became redemption and salvation. Simply said, if God took a day off from his work, we would be utterly lost. It follows, therefore, that as his icons on earth, we must never take a day off from God’s work.
Jesus answers the criticism of the synagogue leader by referring to acceptable cases of work on the Sabbath in which they met the needs of their livestock. If they were allowed to do that for an ox, shouldn’t they also meet the needs of their neighbors, regardless of the Sabbath? Isn’t that just what the Good Samaritan shows us by turning aside from his journey?
If we are to truly live as the image of God, then there is no day off from doing God’s work. The Sabbath is our God-given opportunity to experience freedom from our bondage to our fallen desires and our need to advance our agendas. When we observe a true Sabbath, we are free to reflect on God and do his will. In short, we are to live lives focused on God. To do so, we must always be willing to address the fundamental needs of our neighbors. That is true Sabbath work—bringing people to the Source of freedom, peace, and rest. Created as the image of God, our work is to point people to Jesus, who is the foundation of the Sabbath and the repose of our souls.
Look It Up: Hebrews 12:18-24
Think About It: Jesus is the bridge from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion.
The Rev. Dr. Chuck Alley, former rector of St. Matthew’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, teaches anatomy at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School.
