When was the last
time you took a whole day and rested?
More, when was the last time you took a whole day and rested in God’s
presence, praying, meditating on God’s Word and enjoying His blessings?
If you’re like
me, it’s been a while. And, if you’re
like me, the first three verses of Exodus 35, probably sound a little
harsh. “Whoever does any work on it
shall be put to death.” God must be
awfully serious about this Sabbath thing, even if we are not.
I was recently at
a gathering of pastors from my community.
There was an Anglican, a couple Presbyterians, a couple
non-denominational guys, and a couple of us Lutherans. We’ve decided to get together and talk about
our community, pray for one another and just be collegial. (We are, after all, swimming in the same
pool, so to speak.) One of the pastors
asked a question that was bothering him, “How do you guys get Sabbath
rest?”
It was an
interesting discussion that followed. We
all talked about what kinds of things we do on our day off (most of us get one
day per week). It ranged from reading to
house work, shopping to finishing sermons, and included spending time with
spouse and family. But there wasn’t a
lot about spending time with God.
One of the men
observed, “We wrap up so much of our identity in the things we do. We find our value in the things we do. A good day is a day we get a lot done. When is it enough to be still and know what
God has done for us?”
I wonder if we
think about the Sabbath in terms of a command.
“You must go to church!” And so
we dutifully observe Sunday as the Lord’s Day in honor of Jesus’ resurrection. And, seeing the Sabbath as command, miss the
amazing opportunity that it is – a day of rest and refreshment in God’s
gracious presence in which He gives us forgiveness and restores us.
Israel had
already shown how quickly they would desert God and forget that He was the one
who had redeemed them. For them this
command highlights God’s jealousy. It is
as if He says, “You will not cheat on me again, and to highlight that, to get
it through your skull, every Sabbath you will rest.” But underneath that jealousy is a deep and
abiding love. God wants them to be with
Him. He wants to be their
all-in-all. He wants them to want and
love Him.
The same is true
for us today. God loves it when we spend
time with Him. Jesus teaches us to call
God, “Father,” so that when we talk to Him and pray to Him we are as confident
and bold as little children making requests of their earthly fathers. God loves it when we read His Word and ask
Him to give us His Holy Spirit so that we can read it rightly and hear Him speaking
to us, both in Law and Gospel; teaching, guiding, and correcting as well as
forgiving, renewing, and strengthening us.
God loves it when we come to His house to hear His Word preached, to
receive forgiveness of sins, to remember our Baptism, and to receive Jesus’
body and blood in the His Supper. God
wants us to want to be with Him and love Him.
“Remember the
Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.” We
remember because, in Christ, we are made holy.
Father, help me to love Your Word, let me revel in your
salvation, and fill me with joy to
worship you. Let me say with the
psalmist, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go unto the House of the
Lord.’” Teach me to rest and be content
in what You have done through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Amen.
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