Keep the Sabbath Holy

Readings are Isaiah 58:9b-14 and Luke 13:10-17

Keep the sabbath holy! What does that mean? What does it mean for something to be holy? In Isaiah’s time, it meant that something was set apart for God, who was awesome and powerful and totally other to humanity. Human beings have responded to the holiness of the sabbath in interesting ways. Not too long ago, it meant sitting on uncomfortable pews in church three times a day, no games, no television, definitely no fun!

Yet, look at how the reading describes sabbath – a day of delight! Not a day of selfishness or self-indulgence, but a day of delight. If you read through the Old Testament holiness codes, God frequently starts a festival or ritual season by saying that the first day is to be a sabbath, a rest from work and productivity for everyone. It is a holy day, which in modern English has become a contraction – a holiday! A day set apart for God and therefore holy, a day when we remember the things of God rather than the worries and squabbles of humanity. A day of rest and gratitude and play… A day to step off the treadmill of work and productivity and not enough and enjoy the abundance of God.

The sabbath was truly a day of delight for the woman in our reading today – how she praised God! But of course, this upset the synagogue leader. Something to note perhaps, that just when we think we have God pinned down, understood and in a tidy box, God causes a bit of holy havoc and usually someone gets cross! But Jesus’ enemies have the good sense to be ashamed when he points out that they have missed the point!

And so we have another definition of holy – that holy is as God is, and if our sabbath is to be holy, things that God would do will happen on it. Like hope and healing and justice and transformation. But these will happen not because we strive, but because we let God be God in our lives.

And what might sabbath look like in our lives today. Well, the keep Sunday special ship has sailed, if ever it was a thing. Shift workers, emergency services, carers and healthcare staff have always gone to work. Now there are shops and sports centres and cinemas and all sorts. In our 24/7, multicultural world, we can be answering emails from our boss at midnight on our mobile phones. The world is always working – and in that world, sabbath is an act of resistance. Sabbath is rebellion against the world that tells us that nothing is ever enough – we don’t have enough, we are not enough. Sabbath is prophetic – it reminds us that we are human beings, not human doings. Our worth is not determined by how much we can make, but by the fact we are made in the image of God. Sabbath reminds us that we were made for delight and not for exhaustion.

So to be sabbath people, we need to do sabbath, and that means we need to commit to it – as a duty and a joy. Too often we think that times of rest and recreation are only allowed as some sort of reward when we get to the end of our to-do list. SABBATH IS NOT A REWARD. It is a command, a spiritual discipline – and a gift from our loving heavenly Father. Put times of sabbath in your diary first. Prioritise rest and play.  Only by allowing God to strengthen and refresh us, can we be people who bring that refreshment to others.

Because, sabbath is not just about our own needs but the world around us.  Sabbath inspires us to bring freedom and healing and rest to other who need it. In our world, it might be speaking out for the exploited and underpaid. It might be ensuring that people have good working terms and conditions that mean they too have the chance to rest and spend time with loved ones. It might be using our purchasing power to support businesses who treat their suppliers and employees well. Honestly, does anyone go to Timpsons? Seriously, they are an amazing company, who really support their workers. Support Timpsons! There are good news stories out there, so share them and make sure those who do good things are blessed.

And while I joked about sitting on hard pews three times a day at the start of this sermon, worship is a key part of sabbath. Delighting in God, reminding ourselves of God’s story, of God’s values, of God’s love in a world which doesn’t yet know them is vital. Come to worship to be reminded of the holiness of God, the kindness of God. Spend a little time loitering in God’s company, doing nothing much by the world’s standards but fulfilling your deepest purpose. The Westminster Confession of faith begins “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever”. I am sure women are allowed to join in too.

So keep the sabbath as an act of glory, an act of rebellion and an act of prophetic hope for the world. Let our sabbaths be days of delight! Amen