Luke 6:1-11 Sabbath practice within the Jewish community is a big deal. It’s the 4th commandment—it’s a law. “you shall honor the sabbath and keep it holy. Six days you may work and do all your tasks, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. Do not do any work on it—not you, your sons or daughters, your male or female servants, your animals, or the immigrant who is living with you.” (Exodus 20:8-10)
It was taken seriously then, and it’s taken seriously now. Much like there are denominations of Christians, there are denominations or types of Judaism. Some more conservative and some more liberal. Reform, conservative,
orthodox, and Hasidic. Within the more conservative branches, Jews don’t drive on the sabbath (they intentionally live near the temple so they can walk). They don’t’ work or go shopping or go out to eat (causing others to work). Meals are prepared in advance.
Sabbath is a big deal. It’s a gift for rest AND it’s a sign of freedom. You see, God gave the 10 commandments after the Israelites had fled Egypt—where they had been slaves—slaves who had to work every day. Slaves who weren’t offered days for rest. So the sabbath—without work, or toil, or obligation is a blessed reminder of freedom. So God said, “Take it, enjoy it, benefit from it, and be sure others can do the same.”
Sabbath is a big deal, and as you might imagine, how people have defined “work” has been a topic of debate ever since. What constitutes “work”—not just in the sense of a job, but in the sense of toil or labor? Cutting? Ripping? Digging? Pulling? What about helping? What if the act of helping requires work on your part? Is it forbidden?
In a culture that doesn’t honor rest, or sabbath, a culture where your day off is expected to be dedicated to chores and errands, our filter of perspective is skewed. We work compulsively, so to do one more thing seems fairly inconsequential. But when sabbath is truly understood as a gift and a commandment—you work hard to honor it.
Enter today’s scripture. Jesus and the Pharisees had different views about what constituted “work”. In our first story, Jesus’ disciples were in a field on a sabbath and they plucked the wheat, rolled the chaff off, and ate the wheat. And the Pharisees objected. Now, they didn’t object to them picking in a random field—Jewish law required every farmer to leave some grain, or fruit, unpicked for the poor and the immigrants. So, for these men, who needed food, to take some would have been acceptable. The objection was that they worked on the sabbath. They plucked and rolled the wheat stalk to get the grain.
Now, how many of you find this objectionable? Probably no one here. You’re probably more critical of them taking grain from someone else’s field than the labor involved in pulling the grains. Right? That’s a cultural difference. The rules and norms we uphold influence how we read and understand the scriptures. This is just a simple example of how we differ from the Jews of the first century.
Now Jesus was a first-century Jew, but he also interpreted the law differently. Jesus looked at the situation and saw the need of his friends and saw a solution that didn’t demand anything of anyone else. No one else had to pick, or grind, or bake for them to eat. And they needed to eat. And in case the Pharisees were skeptical, he called on the example of a trusted father in the faith—King David. You know the way to get people in a debate is to show one of their favorite people doing the thing they’re objecting to. Well, David, like Abraham and Moses, was a pillar of the Jewish faith. He’s respected and elevated as an example of the faith. And, as Jesus so beautifully points out—he broke the sabbath to eat something forbidden. Instead of picking grain the field, he went to the temple priest who only had the consecrated bread offering—food that was prohibited to eat except for the temple priest. David ate that bread on the sabbath. So, if dear David could do that, surely these men, whose offense is far less, are ok for plucking and rolling some wheat.
And then the debate comes up again. A different day, a different conflict over Sabbath law. Not for naught. The nuances of sabbath law ere important and often contested. This time Jesus is at the temple on the sabbath and there is a man with a withered hand. Jesus can sense the tension. The Pharisees are there and this is not the first time they’ve debated the finer points of the sabbath, and I’m sure Jesus knew they were ready for a fight. It’s almost like Jesus makes a show of it. Sir, please stand up and make yourself visible to all the people seated there for worship and the rabbis’ teaching. Ow, before we do anything, let’s ask the experts. What is legal on the sabbath to do good or to do evil?
Now, that’s an easy question, right? The answer is to do good. Right?
Maybe. Not that it’s lawful to do evil, but this is a trick question. Is it lawful to do good or to do evil? Well, on the sabbath—neither—if the question is doing, of working, toiling, or laboring. We don’t do on the sabbath—we rest. But in light of the question that sounds ridiculous. Is it lawful to do good or evil? Well, it’s never lawful to do evil. So the answer must be doing good. But there’s this strong internal struggle—but we aren’t allowed to work!!!
So what does Jesus do? He tells the man to stretch out his hand. What did Jesus do? Nothing. Well, he spoke, but that’s not unlawful. He spoke. He broke no law. And the man was healed. And the Pharisees were furious. He tricked them, not in an evil way, but he outsmarted them at their own game.
But more than a battle of wits, Jesus teaches us all something powerful about the sabbath. He underscores the spirit of the law as more important than the letter of the law. And the Spirit of the law is to enjoy the gift of rest—to be filled and restored after spending yourself all week at work. It’s to revel in your freedom—as not slaves—and ensuring others can do the same.
Did you catch all that? Sabbath is meant to help you rest and regroup after a week of toil. It shouldn’t bind you up in obligations or duties. It should free you to eat and drink, laugh and enjoy the people you choose to be with. And in enjoying hose things I should draw you into worship—celebrating the God who gives good gifts and blesses you with freedom.
This week we are invited into sabbath practice. As you think about and shape your sabbath I invite you to think about the things that cause you to toil and prioritize setting them aside for a day. Be clear about what obligations bind you (or make you feel bound up) and make sure they have no hold on you for the day. And think about the things that help you rest—not just naps or lounging. But rest in the sense of restoration—what things will fill your tank, so to speak, so you’ll have something to offer for your next week of work?
How will you embrace the sabbath? Honor it and make it holy? Utilize to truly encounter sabbath Shalom—wholeness, healing, peace, and justice?