Sabbath

One day on the way out of church a woman grasped my hand and said a few pleasantries before proceeding to make excuses for her grown son who, were it not for his busy and demanding job, would come to church. She continued to explain that he worked 15 hours a day, seven days a week. She was clearly proud of him and seemed to expect a similar appreciation on my part. I was non-committal.

What went through my mind was, “She’s expecting me to congratulate her on a son who is breaking the fourth commandment – remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” I wonder what she might have thought my reaction would be to these statements: “ My son just can’t make it to church, he is busy breaking into homes and stealing stuff,” or “Frank would be here but he’s always sleeping around with the women in his neighborhood. He’s just a going concern, that Frank!” Ma’am, you must be very proud.

Now in fairness, I need to confess that I am an inveterate Sabbath-breaker. I, like this woman’s son, am prone to that particular flavor of self-idolatry that we call workaholism. It is the faithless, self-reliant vanity that, if I don’t do it, it’s not getting done. It is driven by fear of failure or pursuit of success, however those are defined.

Jesus tells us that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. That is to say, that Sabbath serves us, not the other way around. This keeps things in perspective. We are not to slavishly observe the Sabbath and congratulate ourselves on our holiness.

But frankly, this isn’t my problem personally, nor our problem culturally. When was the last time I found myself slavishly observing the Sabbath, forfeiting the work (career work, yard work, any work) just because it was Sunday? Think hard.

How does the Sabbath then serve us? I can think of two very important ways. First it provides rest. The Hebrew word means to stop, to rest. Our bodies and souls need rest. Without it we become worn, tired, brittle and grumpy. God made the command to observe the Sabbath for us for our needed rest.

The second was in which the Sabbath serves us is hinted in where it comes in the list of the 10 commandments. It is number four. The first four are commandments concerning God. The last six concern our neighbors. The Sabbath is about God. It can help keep us from our idolatry of self. To leave the work undone on the Sabbath is to cease to trust in ourselves, and instead to trust in God’s power and provision. He is the one in whom we live and move and have our being, to quote St. Paul. Leaving this task for the Sabbath is an act of trust in God.

Yesterday I came home from church and immediately thought of all the things that needed to get done. But whether it was the rainy day or the grace of God, I didn’t start on my to do list. I sat on the couch, listening to a book tape with my family and soon fell asleep. I made a career of napping yesterday afternoon. I stopped and found rest.

My to do list is still in front of me today and it needs my attention. But yesterday’s Sabbath reminded me that the world rests on shoulders other than mine.