Luke 13:10-17
Remember the Blue Laws? Some fifty or more years ago in the United States?
- No matter where you went on Sundays…most everything was closed.
- The doors of sanctuaries were open and it was expected everyone who was anyone had their entire family with them in a pew.
- Laws throughout the United States banned such things on Sundays as open restaurants…
- Open department stores…open car lots…and open liquor stores.
- You did not even hear the whistle of freight trains…on Sundays…because it was illegal to haul goods on the Sabbath. The Lord be with you.
To this day…a county in New Jersey still bans the sale of clothing…shoes…furniture…home supplies…and appliances on Sundays.
- And if you want to enjoy some wine over Sunday dinner or a beer for the afternoon ballgame…you better be sure to stock up before Sunday.
Ironically…the fourth of the infamous Ten Commandments begins not with shall not but with:
- Remember the Sabbath day…and keep it holy (Exodus 20:8)
- Remember the Sabbath day?
- Way back in Genesis 1 and 2…the Great Creator went about all the work of making this amazing world.
- Separating light and darkness…crafting an environment in which creation could thrive…
- Waters above…waters below…with dry land in there too.
- Fruit trees and pine trees and…there were figs and pomegranates and grapes galore.
- The stars twinkled in the brilliant night sky and the moon waxed and waned to keep track of all the seasons.
- Fish and cattle and creeping things of every kind came into being until earth was mixed with the divine breath to concoct such a creature as had never been before:
- Humankind came into this world!
- And then…at last…not because we wore God out in our making…
- Though the news each day might cause us to wonder…then…the Great Creator Stopped…It Was Finished.
- The Great Creator Paused In Delight Declaring: Ah! Very Good! Very…Very Good Indeed!
- Remember The Sabbath Day And Keep It Holy…Because God Wants Everyone Of Us To Stop Too.
- To Pause…If Just From One Sundown To Sundown…To Declare In Delight:
- Ah! Very Good! It All Is Very…Very Good Indeed!
- Set Apart In This Way…We Too Make The Rest
That was the purpose of Sabbath…until the Exodus when Sabbath took on another meaning as well.
- Observant Jewish brothers and sisters welcome Sabbath in their homes each week with the lighting of two candles when at least three stars can be seen in the sky.
- One is the candle of creation…the pause for creatures to delight. To rest.
- The other is the candle of freedom…once we were enslaved by the ways of the Pharaoh.
Here’s the thing: once a week for a whole 24 hours…we are free!
- We are invited to put down heavy burdens to take a walk in the park with someone we love who loves us back just as well.
- We can take a nap no matter what the piles of dirty dishes or chores are calling out to us to do.
- Lay in a hammock or rock out on the front porch if only for 20 minutes just to listen and observe.
- Rest from the pecking order of this world at least for one whole night and one whole day.
- Do it on a Saturday…as was first the plan…
- So…that the next day we can gather with others in the faith.
This is what has Jesus all incensed in the story before us in the gospel of Luke.
- At a glance it might appear all is well…but the Sabbath command is violated.
- Not by the one accused of doing the healing.
- Rather…this synagogue leader failed to see the burden on the shoulders of a woman bound by her body for eighteen long years.
- They would untie their ox or donkey every Sabbath that the animals might get what they needed…even on the day of rest and freedom.
- But the synagogue leader would not have it that a child of the covenant might get a bit better treatment than beasts of burden on the day to live God’s freedom and rest!
This woman did not seek out Jesus.
- The text says nothing of her coming to the synagogue expecting any sort of healing that day.
- The author says that the woman was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.
- So that even if she wanted to seek out Jesus…she would only be able to see feet.
- This woman goes to the synagogue with no indication she is expecting any sort of release…
- Though the leader hisses in his criticism that she was in the wrong for seeking healing on the Sabbath.
- The story never questions her motives or throws any sort of blame her way.
Jesus has stopped to rest and remember…to delight in the goodness of it all that day.
- And while Jesus is observing this day of Sabbath in the synagogue…he saw someone who needed to be set free.
- Jesus saw a whole synagogue full of faithful Sabbath-keepers who needed to be free.
- Set free from law over grace.
- Set free from rules trumping compassion.
- Set free from mental…emotional…and spiritual ailments that weighed heavily upon them.
- None of it is ok with this faithful Sabbath-keeper.
- And so…with one word…like the Great Creator at the beginning of it all…
- Jesus releases the chains upon this woman’s back.
- He lays his hand upon her and in an instant…she is set free.
- With a full body alleluia…she stands upright…for the first time in eighteen years…to praise God!
- True Sabbath…true freedom…true joy-filled rest as a beloved child of God!
Sabbath is about entering the beautiful palace in time each week to sit a spell.
- Not to do anything holy…but just to be.
- Just to rest and remember that we are free.
- Free from it all because the Great Creator hears us and loves us and commands us just to stop….
- And enjoy the freedom and rest of God!
- It is so good…It is so very…very good indeed!