Sabbath As Rhythm of Liberation

The Sabbath is for the people. While the Sabbath can be practiced in solitude, some of the origins of Sabbath are to collectively institutionalize rest for all people, especially those experiencing most exploitation and oppression. 

Theologian Jason Allan Storbakken writes about Sabbath in Ancient Israel: 

“The Hebrew people were a traumatized people,wounded and hurting from their generations of exploitation, oppression and enslavement. And this commandment is a corrective to any future possible exploitation and abuse….It might be argued that Sabbath is among the greatest legislated social revolution of the ancient world. It was the only day that designated rest for slaves and foreigners. And as the community entered more deeply into the Sabbath rhythm more opportunities for liberation were made available.”

When Jesus speaks about Sabbath, Jesus is not overriding his Jewish tradition but reclaiming the revolutionary practice.

• Mark 2:27-28 “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man [the Human One] is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

• Matthew 12:1-14 , in an account about Sabbath Jesus says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” 

Jesus’ Sabbath reminds us that the ancient rhythm of rest is not a legalistic task but an invitation for the collective to experience compassion, mercy, inclusion, and liberation. How are we as a church moving deeper into Sabbath rhythms as a form of liberation? How are we cultivating Sabbath in our homes, work, neighborhoods, and social networks? This week, let’s continue to ask God to bring us closer to God’s heart for liberation, to give us wisdom, clarity, and discipline in our practices of rest, and to open our eyes to see Sabbath as a form of mercy and justice. 

- Dottie Oleson