Keeping the Sabbath Holy – September 1, 2024, Labor Day

Exodus 20:1-11, Matthew 11:20-30
September 1, 2024

The other day I asked my computer the meaning of Labor Day.  And I thought the answer was good.  “Labor Day is a time to reflect on the dignity of work, the value of rest, and the importance of justice in the workplace.”

I thought that was a good definition.  We could also add “a day to honor those who work.”  And I think that’s good, too.  Especially those we don’t think about as much.  And I’m thinking now of the unsung heroes of our society – those who work in “the trades!” – carpenters, plumbers, painters.  Too often we forget them when we’re thinking of those who drive our economy.  We think of the entrepreneurs, the executives, the businessmen, and even the small businessmen.  We encourage people to get higher education degrees, and we honor them when they do.  But we forget about those who go into the trades.

I’ll never forget my music theory professor in college, Dr. Wright.  He was an amazing musician!  He played in Carnegie Hall earlier in his career.  But one day in class he talked about tradesmen.  And I’ll never forget it!  He said, “We don’t often think about the people who do that kind of work.  Think about masons.  Go look at any building on this campus, and look how the bricks and blocks are straight and level and plum, and they’re beautiful!  We need to remember and honor those who do such necessary and meticulous work!”  I’ll never forget that.  And I’ve had an affinity for such people ever since!  And I’ve worked with them.  And I’ve learned from them.  And the more I do, the more I appreciate them!

Well, that’s my “shout out” to the tradesmen of our world!  My hat is always off to them!  But I’d like to take you back to my original thoughts about Labor Day, the words my computer told me.  It is a time to reflect on the dignity of work, and the value of rest!  And those are the words that “jumped off the page” at me.  Especially “the value of rest.”   (The Holy Spirit can work through other writings in that way, not just the Bible!)

When I think of the value of rest, I think of our Jewish brothers and sisters.  They have always had a high regard for the concept of rest, or Sabbath, as they call it officially.  We got our idea of Sabbath from them, and from their scriptures that became our scriptures.  But I daresay we don’t take the Sabbath as seriously as they do.  And that’s to our detriment!

Sabbath for them is commanded in the Ten Commandments.  It’s interesting, in that whole series of mandates and prohibitions, there’s this commandment to keep the Sabbath holy.  In the account in Genesis, there’s an explanation that refers back to the very beginning of Genesis where God created everything in six days and then rested on the seventh.  In Deuteronomy, the other place where we find the Ten Commandments, there is emphasis on God rescuing them from Egypt, and the commanding the Sabbath.  But in the first version it was about God himself resting.

So the first thing we can always say about the Sabbath is that it’s something we need.  God knows that.  He created us.  He knows we need rest and rejuvenation in order to function properly.  And so he commanded it.  And as I’ve said before about commandments, it’s not always the case that something is good because God commands it.  It’s often the case that God commands something because it is good! Do you get that?  Sometimes it’s not the case that something is good because God commands it.  Sometimes he commands it because it is good!  And Sabbath is like that.

I don’t think I would have any arguments here about our need for Sabbath.  I think the message here is to recognize our neglect of Sabbath!  We live in a world where people are burned out, and “weary.”  And a lot of times companies they work for are burning them out.  In our world, the word “workaholic” is the only word like that which is honored and taken advantage of.  Every other word that has that suffix “aholic” is seen as problematic.  But think about it.  If two people are up for the same job, and one describes him or herself as a “workaholic,” who does the company hire?

I think I would get no argument here if I said that our Jewish brothers and sisters have it right.  We need to think more about Sabbath the way they do.  We need to consider, along with the dignity of work, “the value of rest” – and not just on Labor Day.

But this is more than that.  The title of this sermon is not “Keeping the Sabbath,” it’s “Keeping the Sabbath Holy!”  That’s what the commandment says.  This is not just about resting, but resting as an act of obedience to God.  There is a spiritual aspect to this that we can’t forget, either.  It’s not just our bodies that get tired out.  Our spirits can get weary, too!  Can’t they?

As I was thinking about all this, the words from our New Testament reading came to mind.  Jesus had just gone through some very trying times when he said this!  “Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden.”  And it’s that phrase “and are heavy laden” that jumps out at me.  It’s not just “those who labor,” who are tired from working too hard.  It’s more than that.  It’s those who are “heavy laden.”  There’s a difference, isn’t there?  The words “heavy laden” carry with them the sense of being “overwhelmed,” and “worn down.”  Our world is full of people who are “overwhelmed and worn down.”  They are stuck in the “rat race,” in the grind of everyday life, and they see no end in sight.  That’s where “sadness” turns to “despair.”  Maybe some of us are feeling that!

I have no doubt that Jesus saw people in his world like that.  They weren’t just tired from their work.  They were “heavy laden.”  And he was addressing many of them that day.  And his words to them – twice – were, “and I will give you rest.”  “And you will find rest.”  And these wonderful words, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.”  But again here, it wasn’t just rest!  Because his last words in this were, “and you will find rest unto your souls!”  There’s that spiritual aspect of Sabbath.  Our souls need rest, too!  There’s the holiness that’s part of it.  We don’t just keep the Sabbath!  We keep the Sabbath Holy.

I’ve talked many times about people in our world desperately trying to find peace in their troubled lives.  Well, this is part of it.  God wants all of us to have that peace.  And I think a big part of that is keeping the Sabbath holy.  It is seeking to have that rest unto our souls.  It is taking time to be spiritually grounded, to wait upon the Lord, to get things into perspective.

I believe Jesus did that all the time.  He was always seeking those quiet places by himself, where he could touch base with his father.  And we know from the Gospels that wasn’t always easy, especially in the days of what I call, “Jesus the rock star.”  Those were the days he was so mobbed by the crowds he could hardly have a quiet meal with his disciples.

I’m sure we have those days, too!  I know I do.  We don’t think we have time to seek that spiritual grounding, or we are so overwhelmed by things that it doesn’t seem like it would do any good, anyway.  I know I’m always wrong when I think that, by the way!  It always makes a difference!  Of course it’s easy to do when things are calm and relaxed.  The only problem then is that we forget to do it!  Or we don’t think we need it.  Certainly in those calm times, but definitely in the overwhelming times, we need to choose to seek that spiritual grounding!  We need to choose the Holy Sabbath.

So, tomorrow is Labor Day.  It is that day we take time to “reflect on the dignity of work, the value of rest.”  Let it also be a time we remember God’s commandment to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”  And may we remember Jesus’ words – words that actually have the word “labor” in them.  “Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest unto your souls.”

Prayer

Eternal God, we thank you that you love and care for us, and that you want the best for us.  And so, like Jesus our savior, help us to seek our spiritual grounding in you.  Help us to seek and find each day that rest unto our souls, that we so desperately need.  For we pray in his name, Amen.