Sidney UMC - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 09/04/22 - Sermon - “The Potter's House”

Sunday 09/04/22 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title: “The Potter’s House”                                       

Old Testament Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-11                                   

New Testament Scripture: Philemon 1-21

Gospel Lesson: Luke 14:25-33

          One of the trades that I have long been fascinated with and have long admired is that of being a potter. I mean think about it, you take clay, and from that clay you make amazing works of art. I have always love watching a potter’s wheel spin as they mold and shape whatever they are making. Their hands are always wet and clay covered. They then put their creation, usually in a kiln to cook/dry. You can make bowls, mugs, sculptures, etc. All this from a hunk a clay. Taking something very simple that is from the earth, and making things that are extraordinary. Or in the case of some us, not so extraordinary!

          A pastor that has a church in Dallas, Texas that I used to watch periodically is TD Jakes. He has, or had, a small weekly worship attendance of 17,000! Bishop Jakes, as he calls himself, heads a non-denominational church, and it is called “The Potter’s House”. Why would someone name a church “The Potter’s House” though? I mean I do not think that there are any pottery wheels in the church. The reason the church is called “The Potter’s House” though, is scriptures like the one we have this morning from Jeremiah 18:1-11. Like a potter who molds, shapes, and works with clay, our Book of Jeremiah reading for this morning, once again, tell us that ultimate potter is God.

          In fact, this is what our reading from Jeremiah 18:1-11 says once again, starting in 18:1:

18 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him (Jer. 18:1-4, NRSV).

 

          So, the word of God comes to Jeremiah, and tells him to go down to the potter’s house. Jeremiah sees this potter, who makes pots working at his wheel. Unfortunately, the pot that this potter was working on was not coming out too good. As a result, the potter squashed the bad pot back into a piece of clay. The potter then made a new, and a good pot. This is an analogy for God wanting to fix and reshape the people of Israel, but it has taken on an even broader meaning. This broader meaning, is that God is the potter. This is why Pastor, or Bishop TD Jakes’s church in Dallas, Texas is called “The Potter’s House”. In the way God was reshaping Israel, God is like a potter, reshaping us all.

          In fact, this scripture and other scriptures in the bible compare God to a potter, and us to the clay. This reality reminds me a song I used to sing in the Christian group I was in, in college. This song is called “Change My Heart O God,” by Eddie Espinosa, and this song also happens to be in our “The Faith We Sing” hymnal number, 2152. It is a very short song, but let me read the lyrics of this song to you:

Change my heart oh God, make it ever true Change my heart oh God, may I be like You - You are the potter, I am the clay Mold me and make me, this is what I pray (https://unlimitedworship.org/songs/detail/923/Change-My-Heart-Oh-God).

 

          So, while in some cases the analogy of the potter, is sometimes seen as God reshaping Israel, God is the potter of us all. Do we allow God to reshape and remold us though, that we might be more and more perfected into God’s image? Or do we resist God, and resist God’s will on our lives?

          In continuing on in our reading for this morning from the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah gets another word or message from God. Picking up in 18:5 it says:

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. 9 And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. 11 Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings (Jer. 18:5-11, NRSV).

     God has the power to change evil to good, and to mold and fashion us, as a potter molds and fashions clay. God wants to mold us into vessels of love, compassion, faith, mercy, holiness, and righteousness. As the song says of God, “You are the potter, I am the clay”.

     To be molded by God, to be changed by Christ, and to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit, is to be gradually made and molded into a beautiful, holy, and righteous piece of pottery. The Apostle Paul tells his friend Philemon this morning once again in 1:4-7:

4 When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. 7 I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother (Phil. 1:4-7, NRSV).

 

     God is the potter, we are the clay, and we are hopefully being made more and more into the image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

          In looking at our gospel of Luke 14:25-33 reading for this morning Jesus tells us the cost of discipleship. If we are really going to be molded by God to be more in Jesus Christ, then have to daily seek after Christ. Our gospel lesson from Luke 14:25-33, picks up once again in Luke 14:25 saying of Jesus:

²⁵ Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ²⁶ “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple (Lk. 14:25-27, NRSV).

          I don’t think that Jesus is literally telling us to hate our families or life itself per se, instead I think that Jesus is telling us how closely that we need to be focused on him. We need to surrender to God, and we need to allow God to mold and to shape our lives. If we will truly let the potter mold us and fashion us into the image of Christ, then we need to submit fully to God. If there are barriers between us and Christ, then those are barriers to God further molding us in his image. We need to realize that following Christ is great, but it takes our focus, our commitment, and it has a cost. Jesus compares this to building a tower and war. Jesus says picking up in Like 14:8:

²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³ So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

          If we surrender our lives, our possessions, our wealth, and everything to God, God can then further mold us into the image of Christ. This does mean that we won’t have possessions or some wealth, it simply means that it is no longer ours. What do I mean by this? I mean that everything we have we do not own, but rather we are caretakers of what we have and own for God. Everything we have and possess is God’s, and when surrender our lives and all that we have to God, then we can further be molded and shaped into God’s image. Jesus is telling us in our gospel of Luke reading for this morning how important it is for us to be fully surrendered to God.

          Certain religious orders within the Christian faith, call people to literally give up all of there wealth and possessions as a measure of their specific calling. This would include monks, nuns, etc. Most of us therefore, are called to surrender everything have to God. This do not mean have nothing, but it does mean that whatever we have is God’s, and we are caretakers of what God has given us. The master potter of us all has given us what we have, so that we can live, serve, give, and bless others. It is not ours; we are but managers of what God has given us. As grow closer to Christ, as we molded and fashioned by the potter, God will lead us to do what he has called to do with all that he has given us.

          When we look at our faith this way, when we follow after God, seeking to be more like Christ, we more fully allow the potter to mold and shape us. It is hard for a potter to work, mold, and shape a piece of clay though, if pieces of the clay are missing. These missing places of clay symbolize in our lives areas that we have not fully surrendered to God. If there are parts of our lives that do not belong to the potter, then how will God shape those missing parts? God will do what God will do, but Christ wants all of us. God wants to shape us and mold us, to bless us, and to see us become made into the full image of his son. This my friends, is why God called Jeremiah to go to “The Potter’s House” this morning. God wanted to show Jeremiah what he could do with people that turn to him, that trust him, and that love him fully. This is also why God invites all of us to come him, the master potter, so that we might be molded and fashioned until the image of his son Jesus Christ. Today and always, may we go to “The Potter’s House”. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - 08/28/22 - Sermon - “Let Mutual Love Continue”

                                   Sunday 08/28/22 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Let Mutual Love Continue”                                         

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 81:1, 10-16                                   

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Gospel Lesson: Luke 14:1, 7-14

          The scripture tells us in many places that God is love. To truly know God, is to know perfect love. As Christians, we have historically believed that this perfect love of God, came to earth, took on a body, and was named Jesus Christ. God created everything in love, God’s son Jesus came to earth in love, and the Holy Spirit fills us with love. To know God the Father, who creates, is to know love. To know God’s son Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, is to know love. To be filled with the Holy Spirit of God, is to know love.

          With this said though, I sometimes see love in the world, but I also sometimes see the opposite of this. Sometime I see cruelty, anger, wrath, envy, war, and harmful behavior. If we are Christians, if we are people that follow Christ, how should we respond to the world around us. If in perfect love God the Father sent his only son Jesus Christ to live, to teach, to love, to heal, to die for our sins, to rise again, and to some day return in glory, should we live and love like Jesus? Further, if we all did live and love like Jesus what would Sidney look like? What would the Tri-Town Area look like? What would New York, the United States, and the world look like?

          Now what I am saying is not always easy, in fact it can be very hard. To be a Christian in so many ways is to be counter cultural. It is to love others, even when we are told not to. I think if we are all honest there have been times when have not loved each other, or desired to not be caring and kind to each other. Yet, this is the highest ideal of the Christian life. Imagine if we pursued loving each other, the way that Jesus loves us all?

          We have a beautiful scripture for this morning from Hebrews 13:1-3 that says once again:

13 Let mutual love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured (Heb. 13:1-3, NRSV).

          What a beautiful verse of scripture in Hebrews 13:1. It says once again:

13 Let mutual love continue (Heb. 13:1, NRSV).

          God the Father who creates, is love, his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is love, and the Holy Spirit of God is love. When God corrects us though, this is also done in love. For example, as our reading from Psalm 81:10-13 it says once again:

10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11 “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. 13 O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! (Ps. 81:10-13, NRSV).

I have talked to parents before who have told me that they grounded their child or took some of their privileges away from them. Some parents have told me that they did this “because they love the child, and wanted them to learn”. Love is treating people and loving people the way that God loves us. Even so, we all still sin or are still tempted by sin. We can be forgiven of our sin through the Lord Jesus Christ, but we still live in this world. This world is sometimes full of struggles, pitfalls, snares, and brokenness. It can be hard to love all the time amidst all of this. Further, sometimes we have to be firm and corrective, but in love.

I find in interesting that the Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews 13:1-3 to “Let Mutual Love Continue,” to never withhold hospitality from stranger, as we may have been entertaining angels, The Apostle Paul also tells us, once again, to remember those who are in prison, and those being tortured. In the very next verse 13:4 however, the Apostle Paul then immediately goes after adultery. Quite a shift in just a few verses. The Apostle Paul then tells us not to love money, and to be content with what we have. The Apostle Paul then assures us that God will always be with us (Heb. 13:4-8, NRSV).

Sometimes in some of his New Testament letters or books the Apostle Paul can seem harsh, or very direct. I think that the Apostle Paul is trying to call us all to social and scriptural holiness. All of us have sinned, all of us have fallen short, and all of us maybe continue to fail in different ways. Everyday, we can repent, give our lives to Christ anew, and hope to become more and more like Jesus. God loves us when we are living in perfect love, and God love us when we are not living in perfect love. God always love us.

The challenge I think is that if we have made mistakes and sinned, which we all have, sometimes we feel worse than others. We might think that we are the biggest and the worst sinner. Somehow what we have done is much graver than everyone else. Yet the scripture says we have all sinned and all fallen short. Who is worthy of God? None of us, but all us are worthy through Jesus Christ. I do not believe in degrees of sin. If we have done something wrong or sinned, we have all fallen short. Which means brothers and sisters, we are all in this together. Your pastor is not better than you, and you are not better than your pastor. Well maybe!

We are all works in progress. Thanks, be to God that each and every one of us are offered salvation and forgiveness through Christ, but we must keep following after him. I believe, I hope, that I am holier and more righteous than I was ten years ago, but I am still growing, praying, learning, and Lord willing becoming more like Jesus. When we can have joy knowing we are forgiven, loved, set free, and offered eternal life, hopefully we can then look around the church and say that we are all really the same. We are different, but all equal before the living God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Unfortunately, I did not always hear this message growing up. Some pastors would preach that all of “you” need to repent, all of “you” need to change, and yet to me those pastors seemed perfect. They wanted to present as if they knew it all, had it all together, and never had any sin or temptation any more in their life. We are all fallen, but all are pursuing wholeness and completeness through the Lord Jesus Christ. Imagine a church where you can be you, but will be challenged to be more like Jesus. A church where you can be you, but where are loving each other, praying for each other, and becoming more like Jesus. This sounds like love to me, even though sometimes the layers of love can get messy.

Our Book of Hebrews reading ends for this morning in 13:7-8, 15-16 saying once again:

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ¹⁵ Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. ¹⁶ Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:7-8, 15-16, NRSV).

          So, hopefully our leaders, your pastor, is living and trying there best to live a righteous, moral, and faith filled life. Should a good pastor or church leader inspire you? Yes, of course, be we are all daily called to become more like Christ. The Apostle Paul reminds that Christ never changes, nor does his love for us. We keep following him, and we keep seeking to be more like him. What is one of the ways to become holier, to become more like Christ, to become closer to being sinlessness? The Apostle Paul tells us to continually to offer a sacrifice of praise to God and profess his name. Lastly, the Apostle Paul tell us to do good, to share and be generous, as this is what we have been commanded to do in God through Jesus Christ.

          A pretty interesting packaging of scriptures in our Hebrews 13 reading for this morning once again. We are told love, to show hospitality, remember those in prison, and then the Apostle Paul goes after a few areas of sin that some have or do struggle with. The Apostle Paul then tells us again to love each other. You see if we just love each other in an emotional sense, but never challenge ourselves or others to become more like Jesus, then are really growing to our fullest extent? This does not have to be done in a punitive or a mean way. Sarah Pressler has told me in a loving, yet firm way before that I am working to much. We need to show “Mutual Love” to one another, but are all called to grow closer to and be more like Jesus.

          Love can be shown through words, actions and deeds. If are trying help build people up, have them reach their full potential, and are trying to lead people to be more like Christ, than that can be love to.

          In looking at our gospel of Luke 14:1, 7-14 reading for this morning, I believe we once again have a great depiction of the kind of love Jesus teaches us all to have. Jesus gives us instructions for how to have a dinner party or sorts, which of all things might seem like a shock that Jesus would be concerned about a dinner party. Nevertheless, starting Luke 14:1 it says once again:

14 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely                 (Lk. 14:1, NRSV).

     So, Jesus, on one occasion, as the gospel said went to a leader of the Pharisees house to eat a meal on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees, or the religious leaders, are of course watching Jesus closely to try to find some error or some sin that they could claim that he committed. Of course, Jesus committed no sin or error. This was the continued pettiness and the nitpickiness however that the religious leaders constantly hurled upon Jesus.

          How did Jesus respond and act when he got to this meal at the house of a leader on the Pharisees? Well picking up in Luke 14:7, it says of Jesus at the dinner, once again:

⁷ When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹ and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Lk. 14:7-11, NRSV).

While Jesus uses the example of a wedding banquet or a great feast, he tells us that we should be humble. We should not seek to be in the best seats and seek to be seen as the best. Further, if we do this we should not seek to exalt or bring praise to ourselves. Instead, we should seek to sit in the lesser places, and if we are invited to sit in better place than maybe we can do so. Jesus tells us that all who exalt or praise themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted.

          Our gospel of Luke reading for this morning then concluded with 14:12-14, once again saying:

¹² He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Lk. 14:12-14, NRSV).

          Jesus tells us that when we put on a dinner or a luncheon not to invite our friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Instead, Jesus says that we should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Jesus said, we will be blessed because these folks cannot repay our kindness like our friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors can, but Christ will repay us in eternity.

          This morning, once again, as my sermon title says, the Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 13:1:

13 Let mutual love continue (Heb. 13:1, NRSV).

          This means, we need to daily seek Christ, read the scriptures, pray, being in small groups and bible studies with each other, and seek to be more like Jesus. As Jesus continues to change and mold us, we become more holy and more righteous. When we really love each other, we show the love of Christ, but also tell each other when we need repent and turn to Christ. We are all equal in Christ, we are all fallen, but we can all be redeemed and forgiven. None of us are worthy on our own, but we are redeemed in Christ. We are all welcome here, we are called to love each other, and as the Apostle tells us this morning in Hebrews 13:1 may we seek to:

13 Let mutual love continue (Heb. 13:1, NRSV). Amen

Sidney UMC - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - 08/21/22 - Sermon - “Is That Really Work?”

                                   Sunday 08/21/22 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Is That Really Work?”                                              

Old Testament Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10                                      

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 12:18-29

Gospel Lesson: Luke 13:10-17

          I remember that when I was a little boy a lot of places were closed on Sundays. Remember the “Blue Laws” or the “Sunday Laws?” I mean after all; Sunday is the Lord’s Day. Stores and many other forms of business were closed, as this was a day to go to church, spend time with family, and to rest. In Biblical terms Sunday can be called a “Sabbath Day”. Some folks would go to church, come home, and have a big family meal. Families and friend would just spend time together. Some families would take a Sunday drive in their car, or go and visit family and friends. In essence, Sunday was a day of rest. If someone had to work on Sunday, in essential businesses or services, then hopefully they would get another day or two off during the week.

          My “Sabbath Day” is Friday. There are some church leaders like Sarah, Roy, and many others that tell me often that on Friday I should be resting. “It is a day of rest for you Pastor Paul,” I am told. Yet, if Sunday is our “Sabbath Day,” or if we take a “Sabbath Day” on another day of the week, how do we spend it? I mean biblically speaking it is supposed to be a day of rest. So, should we just lay in bed all day? Can we mow the lawn? Can we do laundry? Can we cook? Can we do a project around the house or the apartment?

          I ask all of this, because biblically the “Sabbath Day” is a day of rest, without work. In fact, the Book of Genesis it tells us of the creation story in 2:1-3 this:

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation” (Gen. 2:1-3, NRSV).

          I remember when I was in the Holy Land or Israel in 2014. My seminary classmates, professors, and I, were in the ancient city of Jerusalem. It was Friday late afternoon, and market places were buzzing. Then in a matter of minutes all of the Jewish folks were just gone. The Sabbath was coming, and they had to have a cessation of work for the day, as God commanded them to do so in the Book of Genesis/the Ten Commandments. Some Jewish folks headed to the Synagogue to worship God, but it was day of rest until sundown on Saturday night.

          So, a day of rest, the “Lord’s Day,” a “Sabbath Day”. We are supposed to rest and not work, as God did the same on the seventh day of creation. Here is the question then my friends, what is work? Let me ask this again? If it is the “Lord’s Day,” or our “Sabbath Day” is a day of rest, then what counts as work? I mean should we stay in bed for 24-hours? Can we do the dishes, or is that work? Can we do the laundry, or is that work? Can we go to the grocery store, or is that work? I think that you get the idea here. Not working on our “Sabbath Day” and resting is a biblical idea. As pastor’s, our district superintendents and our bishops are constantly reminding us to take our vacation time, to practice self-care, and to take our “Sabbath Day” every week. As I said, my “Sabbath Day” is on Friday. Once again though, “What is work”?

          I remember when I was kid my mom worked with some orthodox Jewish men. A couple of them would call the other on Friday night before the sun went down, and they would leave a live phone open for 24-hours during the “Sabbath Day”. Why? Well making a phone call on the “Sabbath” was work, but talking on the phone was not.

          I remember hearing a story from a former parishioner named Don, who has since passed on to glory. Don grew up in Boston, and he told me that when he was a kid some of the Jewish folks would pay him a quarter to like their wood burning stoves for them on the sabbath. Lighting the wood stove apparently was work. If you take a day of rest every week though, what do you consider work?

          I ask all of this, because one of the accusations leveled against Jesus by the pharisees, the scribes, and the other religious leaders was that he did work on the “Sabbath Day”. I do not think that Jesus did work on the “Sabbath Day,” rather I think that the religious leaders were attempting to make it look like that Jesus was violating the Ten Commandments and the other Jewish Laws or Law of Moses. If Jesus violated the Jewish Laws or the Law of Moses that this would discredit his claim to be the Son of the God, the savior, the Messiah.

          This morning, we have a religious leader, a leader of a synagogue accusing Jesus of working on the “Sabbath Day”. This is a serious sin against God. The reason for this accusation against Jesus, was that Jesus healed a sick and hurting woman (Lk. 13:10-17, NRSV). Is that work?

          As you are thinking about this, I want to highlight our other two scripture for this morning. In looking at our scripture reading from Jeremiah 1:4-10 for this morning once again, we hear that God spoke to Jeremiah. God tells Jeremiah that he: “appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5b, NRSV). God called Jeremiah to speak and bring people back to holiness and Godliness. Jeremiah however, does not think he can do this, for he is young and not ready. God tells Jeremiah to that he will empower him. In fact, our reading from the Book of Jeremiah ends for this morning, once again with 1:9-10 saying:

9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:9-10, NRSV).

          Jeremiah, a great prophet or truth teller of the Old Testament is called to call people back to God, and back to holiness. Among other things that God used Jeremiah to call the people to, I can imagine observing the “Sabbath Day” was quite important. Taking a day of rest every week. However, if the Jewish people and us Christians do this, which is good to do, then what counts as work?

          In looking at our reading from Hebrews 12:18-29 for this morning once again, the Apostle Paul is comparing the Old Covenant of God through Moses, to the New Covenant of God through Jesus Christ. This New Covenant offered to us through the cross and the blood of Christ is eternal and unwavering. In fact, the Apostle Paul ends our reading from the Book of Hebrews for this morning with 12:28-29 saying:

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for indeed our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28-29, NRSV).

          Jesus is the New Covenant, our hope, our salvation, and even so, Jesus rested. Jesus took time to rest, to pray, and prepare for what was next. Keeping the “Sabbath Holy” is what part of the commandment from the Ten Commandments says. Yet, what amount or type of work would we have to do violate the command to have a “Sabbath Day” and keep it holy. If we have a day off or a vacation, and we are supposed to relax and not work, well then, once again, what is work?

          This leads me to our gospel lesson for this morning once again, where Jesus is accused of working on the “Sabbath Day,” or the “Lord’s Day,” which is a big “no no”. Is what Jesus is doing this morning work though? Let’s look at the gospel of Luke 13:10-17 once again. Starting in 13:10 it says of Jesus:

10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight                                          (Lk. 13:10-11, NRSV).

          So, Jesus is teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, which means Saturday, as this is the Jewish Sabbath. Jesus is not heckled for teaching however, and some may think that teaching is not work. I know many teachers that would beg to differ! Continuing on in our gospel of Luke reading for this morning, Jesus responds to the crippled woman. Picking in 13:12 it says:

12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day” (Lk. 13:12-14, NRSV).

          The leader, the priest, the head of this Jewish Synagogue, chastises or at the very least corrects Jesus. He basically says to Jesus, how dare you heal someone on the Sabbath. Apparently, teaching is not work on the Sabbath, but healing a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years is work on the Sabbath. If Sunday is the “Lord’s Day,” or the “Sabbath Day,” or if you have another “Sabbath Day” every week, are you determined to use that day as a day of rest? If so, what is work, and what is not work? To me, I think that leader of the Synagogue this morning, was trying to get Jesus on any little thing or technicality that he could. I mean he laid hands on a woman and healed her. Is that work?

          Perhaps more importantly, how does Jesus then respond to this allegation that he has sinned against God, by working on the Sabbath? Once again, our gospel of Luke reading ends for this morning with 13:15-17, with Jesus’ speaking, saying:

15 But the Lord answered him and

said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not   this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing (Lk. 13:15-17, NRSV).

          So, friends, is it biblical to try to have a “Sabbath Day” for ourselves every week? Yes, it is. Are all able to do it on the Christian Sabbath day of Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection? No. I have one question then, if we are determined to have a day of rest, then what is work?

          I would say that the “Sabbath Day” is a day to connect with God, to care for yourself, and to replenish and refill ourselves for the rest of the week. What counts as work though? Well, this a tough question. What I can say is that I would encourage you all to take a “Sabbath Day,” and we might never fully agree on what work is.

I think that what Jesus is saying this morning though, is that it is more of the spirit of what the “Sabbath Day” is. Are we try to rest, are we trying to connect with God, replenish, and refill ourselves? Or, are we more concerned upon dotting every little “i” and crossing every little “t”. The “Sabbath Day” was made for us to rest, to reconnect to God, and to refill, and replenish ourselves. What counts as work then? Well, I guess it depends on who you ask. So, friends, on your next “Sabbath Day” if you want to do something, you can ask yourself the question, “Is That Really Work?” I personally think though that healing a woman on the Sabbath, who had been crippled for eighteen years, is not work. Amen.