Meaning of the Sabbath (Luke 14:1-6)
Today we hear about the debate that happens between Jesus and the Pharisees over the Sabbath. Of course, most are aware that the Pharisees adhered to no work of any kind on the Sabbath. In their minds, it was a day of rest, a day set apart for the Lord.
Jesus, of course, is in line with this traditional thinking. The Sabbath recalls not only creation, but also the gift of the Mosaic Law and the Exodus. In Jesus’ time, the Jews were steadfast in maintaining the Sabbath. Observance of the Sabbath was one of the distinguishing marks that set them apart from other nations.
Christians, of course, also keep the Sabbath. For us, however, it is not just a day of remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt, but rather of the new Passover. Jesus, the Paschal Lamb, has been sacrificed making possible our “passing over” from this world to the New Jerusalem, i.e., heaven itself. On the Sabbath, we cease from unnecessary work so as to focus on God, our first Love.
Additionally, as we hear today, it is also a day wherein we are called to lift the burdens of others. Jesus cured the man suffering from dropsy on the Sabbath.
To justify his action, Jesus uses a traditional rabbinical teaching technique of arguing from the “lesser” to the “greater.” If one can save an animal like an ox on the Sabbath, how much more can one save a son in a cistern or a grown man suffering from some ailment? Human beings are more important than animals. If one can save an animal and not violate the Sabbath, one can certainly heal a man.
In short, the Sabbath is a great gift. It is a day of rest. Like the temple in Jerusalem, it is a “sacred space/time” wherein we focus on what’s important in life: God, family, and anyone suffering or in need. By releasing the burdens of others, we give them the opportunity to rest in God during this sacred time.
By God’s grace, try to keep Sunday sacred! Additionally, help alleviate the burdens of those in your lives whom you know are suffering physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Whether it is a phone call, a visit, a kind smile or word, a note, an attentive ear, the Sabbath is a day God invites you to lighten the burdens of others so that they, too, can experience our Lord’s rest.