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Wednesday, February 28, 2018

How do you "do" a Sabbath day?




Last Friday I attended a Black History Showcase presentation at a grandson’s elementary school in Oakland. So I missed our regular men’s group discussion on Luke 6.


The group covered the first 19 verses and, fortunately for me, decided that we will review the second half of the chapter this week. I noticed how much I missed connecting with my friends last week.

As we meet weekly to read and discuss a passage together we learn so much by sharing our different insights. Reading and applying scripture together becomes a practice that we miss when we are away. As we spend time together we get to know others--and let others know us--in the prayerful context of sharing in a common purpose and friendship.

My friend Dan’s email gave me a quick snapshot of some of the key questions our group covered when discussing Jesus’ activities on a certain Sabbath in Luke 6:1-11:


  • Have we lost the idea of a Sabbath?
  • Does Sabbath mean church, or do we make it just another day to run around?
  • Can Sabbath mean nature?
  • Is the Sabbath an external form or posture?
  • Does the outward form become something of a charade (as it did for the Pharisees) that gets in the way of an internal dialogue with God? 

Another friend of mine recently described how her family decided to take a family hike with a friend and some relaxing family time with a meal and a movie one recent Sunday. She acknowledged that it is often just too easy to spend a typical Sunday evening making a do-list and stressing out over the week ahead.

Luke records how Jesus revolutionized people’s thinking about their Sabbath practices. When he was asked “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” (Luke 6:2) He responded by reminding the Pharisees of the time when King David and his band of men “entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. Then Jesus said to them, “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:4-5; see Leviticus 24:5-9).

Luke highlights another confrontation on another day when Jesus is teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. A man in the congregation has a deformed right hand, and the Pharisees are watching to see whether or not Jesus will heal on the Sabbath. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus invites the man with the withered hand to stand up in front of everyone.

Jesus then turns and questions the Pharisees, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath; to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” A long silence follows. No one replies.

Eugene Peterson captures the way Jesus reacts: “He looked around, looked each one in the eye. He said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ He held it out—it was as good as new! They were beside themselves with anger, and started plotting how they might get even with him” (Luke 6:10-11, Message).



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