A Forced Sabbath - March 31

Today’s Readings: Exod. 5:1–6:1; 1 Cor. 14:20–33a,39–40; Mark 9:42–50

In today’s Old Testament lesson, Moses and Aaron go to see Pharaoh to ask for permission for the Israelites to go into the wilderness for three days for a feast. Pharaoh not only refuses their request but then adds to their daily burden the task of gathering straw in order to make bricks. The Israelites were already responsible for making bricks, and because they have complained, they must have idle time which can be replaced with the task of gathering straw. From Pharaoh’s perspective, if the day can be completely filled with work, there will be no time to worry, no time to complain, no time to imagine anything else. I wonder if Pharaoh thought that if all time could be used for production, people would be satisfied with their lives?

Walter Brueggemann, the prolific Old Testament theologian, argues that Sabbath’s main focus is to break this cycle of production that tricks our egos into believing that we are capable of producing value and worth in our lives, and everything that we want, we should be able to produce immediately. Which then leads us to work harder and harder, and longer hours, and we put our own self-worth into what we can produce. Sabbath then becomes a way of resisting this culture.

Many of us have either had our model for work drastically challenged, altered, or we have altogether lost our jobs. In many ways it is frightening. Maybe in some ways, it is a forced Sabbath. One consideration would be to ask ourselves, have we worked too hard to cover up the imperfections in our lives, or to drown out our worry or concerns in life? What could a practice look like of breaking that cycle so that we can see our dependence more on God than our own agency for our worldview and our faith? What I am suggesting is not easy, but potentially could be a faithful approach to what many of us are experiencing.

- John+

Questions for Consideration

  • What have you used to cover up your worry or concern?

  • How does work impact your mental health?

Challenge

  • Create a Sabbath practice that helps you intentionally set time for God once a week.

John Burruss