Mark 2:23-28
Jesus went through the wheat fields on the Sabbath. As the disciples made their way, they were picking the heads of wheat. The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look! Why are they breaking the Sabbath law?”
He said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was in need, when he and those with him were hungry? During the time when Abiathar was high priest, David went into God’s house and ate the bread of the presence, which only the priests were allowed to eat. He also gave bread to those who were with him.” Then he said, “The Sabbath was created for humans; humans weren’t created for the Sabbath. This is why the Human One is Lord even over the Sabbath.”
Have you ever gotten to that point where you are just frazzled?
You are so overwhelmed by stuff that you don’t even know how to slow down.
As some of you know, I took a little break last week and made a quick jaunt to Italy.
I went so that I could experience some of the holy places because I have never been to Rome or Italy.
And I can tell you the Vatican was grander than I ever imagined.
I would be lying if I didn’t say that the little bit of the Vatican Museum that we saw was somewhat over the top
--- and St Peter’s --- well St Peter’s is just beyond belief.
I believe the word I used to describe St Peter’s was ---
The Hubris of humanity
The magnificence of the Sistine Chapel is indescribable.
And even though there was a small child screaming most of the time that we were in the Chapel --- the awe and holiness of that sacred spot still was palpable.
But it was in a little obscure church in Florence that I began to relax.
And when we went to a farm just outside of Pisa for lunch --- I felt the spirit begin to move in a whole new way.
Most of us tend to overschedule our lives.
We seem to believe that we are supposed to fill every available moment, and failure to do so, signifies disgrace.
For years I served on a scholarship board that offered full tuition scholarships to any state school in Indiana to students from NW Indiana.
It was an interesting experience --- we usually gave about 30 scholarships, and we usually had somewhere between 100 and 150 applications that had meet the minimum requirements that we on the scholarship committee needed to read and evaluate.
What became apparent was that as a board we honored and rewarded those students who were ridiculously busy --- not only in their High School classes and activities, but also activities outside of school.
It seemed that the more things they could cram in --- the higher we ranked them.
I find our Gospel story personally very challenging.
Sabbath, in the first century was very important to observant Jews in Judea.
It had become very rigid --- with the rabbinical teachings doing their best to try and define just what was and was not allowed on Sabbath.
If you study the Mishnah, you will find all kinds of explanations that to us seem ridiculous; but to observant Jews --- these were a matter of life and death.
One of the constant themes of the Gospels, is Jesus confronting the Rabbi’s as he tries to reimagine sabbath.
Jesus does not want to do away with Sabbath rest --- instead Jesus wants us to experience it in whole new way.
Before we can look into this new way of experiencing Sabbath, --- maybe we should try to understand what Sabbath meant in Judaism.
In the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), there are two main Hebrew words used, referring to Sabbath rest.
The first is shabbat, which gets partially translated into the English word sabbath.
This word for rest simply means to “stop working.”
Think of an hourly job where you clock out at the end of a shift. The work is done; there’s no more until you clock back in.
The other main Hebrew word related to Sabbath in the Hebrew Scriptures is nuakh.
This means to “dwell” or “settle.”
This is very different from clocking out of a job.
This is like sitting in front of a fire with a loved one or unpacking a suitcase to stay at grandma’s house for the holidays.
It’s essentially about being restfully present.
God creates shabbat and nuakh (rest) right around the same time.
In the story of creation, God works for six days creating the world and rests on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3).
After six days of creating order where there had been chaos, now it is time for God to shabbat from this work.
Only a few verses later, we read that God creates humans and then immediately “rests them” or “settles them” with himself in the garden of Eden
It seems like the ideas of shabbat and nuakh are meant to work together.
God leads by example as he rests from work (shabbat) and then dwells together (nuakh) with his people.
As we read the biblical story it is clear that Jesus did not see Sabbath as a restrictive, joyless practice.
Instead, Jesus emphasizes by example that it is a time to share with others, a time of healing, a time to extend love and grace.
It is fascinating to me that in the Gospels, Jesus only spends one sabbath day alone --- he spends the rest in various forms of community.
Being with others in fellowship, particularly centered around Jesus, is one way for people to find Sabbath rest and even healing.
Which, of course, was another of Jesus’ favorite Sabbath activities.
Jesus reminds us that Sabbath is a holy time.
Sabbath rest helps us create space to honor God, to set time apart to build a loving relationship with God.
On the Sabbath we find Jesus:
Worshipping
Praying
Healing
I think what I am trying to say is Sabbath is not a one size fits all day.
There are different ways for us to experience Sabbath depending on our needs at the time.
I hope you had a chance to ponder the quote on the top of the bulletin.
It is from Bill Gaultiere, a psychologist and spiritual formation pastor.
He wrote:
Eugene Peterson says that “a day off” is not Sabbath, but a “bastard Sabbath.” To take a Sabbath is to set aside one day a week to rest in God’s provision, to stop your work and be “unproductive.” The way Dallas Willard described entering Sabbath to me was, “Do nothing. . . . Don’t try to make anything happen.”
He goes on quoting Peterson:
An accurate understanding of sabbath is prerequisite to its practice: it must be understood biblically, not culturally. A widespread misunderstanding of sabbath trivializes it by designating it “a day off.” . . .However beneficial, this is not a true sabbath but a secularized sabbath. . . . Sabbath means quit. Stop. Take a break. Cool it.
The Sabbath is a day to let go, to stop trying to control people and situations.
It’s a day to unhook from performing for people or pleasing people.
It is a day to let God be God.
It’s a day to focus on what God is graciously doing all around you and respond to God’s grace rather than depending on your own abilities to make things happen.
Keeping the Sabbath teaches us to trust God.
Sabbath is God’s way to set us free from worry and anxiety, ambition and adrenaline, self-importance and anger, even loneliness.
I am not good at Sabbath.
Never have been.
There have been seasons when I was better, but it never seems to last.
For me, I let meetings and other things get in the way of my Sabbath --- and I know that we all pay for my lack of spending that special time away with God.
That is why this trip to Italy was so important for me.
I could disconnect from the computer and phones and meetings
And reconnect with God.
The second day, one of my 12 traveling companions noted that it must be hard to travel alone (they were all traveling with someone)
And while YES, I wish Nancy could have gone with me
BUT, I needed to get away and reconnect with God.
But let me be very clear --- I was not alone
I found a new family of friends who welcomed me and shared the journey with me
People to dwell together with me
But I really did need some time to slow down and listen to God.
And it is always funny to me where those things happen
Not in the opulence of St Peter’s or the Sistine Chapel
But in the Basilica of Holy Trinity
A small, often forgotten church in Florence
There in that small church, as we took some time to look at the beautiful artwork, God pulled me aside and reminded me of our love affair
God reminded me that I needed to create time to dwell in the presence of God
And then, a couple of hours later --- I found that time --- wandering on a farm outside of Pisa
Sunday is not a Sabbath for me.
Nor for almost any clergy or church employee that I know
We are too busy trying to create Sabbath for you
We must find our Sabbath elsewhere.
And I try (not very successfully) to make that my Mondays
I give you permission to hold me accountable on that
How are you at keeping Sabbath?
Not vacating
Not a day off
But a day spent WITH God
The sad truth is --- we cannot love God if we are not willing to spend time with God.
If we are not willing to rest and dwell in the presence of God.
God created the Sabbath so that our relationship can grow and mature.
In a few minutes, many of us will be getting in our cars and driving to sacred ground.
Camp Otto was purchased by Meridian Street in July 1965.
It wasn’t a sure deal
Eight of the 25 board members voted against the purchase
But for the next 40 years --- CAMP OTTO became a place of refuge
A place of sabbath rest for thousands of young people
It wasn’t just Meridian Street youth
Many other groups used this marvelous camp as well
The number of lives that were transformed are endless
Anne Rosebrock felt her call to ministry there
Sabbath rest is found when we rest from our labors and draw close to God
Jesus reminds us that Sabbath is a holy time.
Sabbath rest helps us create space to honor God, to set time apart to build a loving relationship with God.
We cannot be in love with someone we don’t know
Take time to be with God and to fall in love with Jesus
Love matters more --- and at the heart of Sabbath is love
So I encourage you to take time and find Sabbath with God
Dwelling in God’s rest and in simply being together.
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