There is nothing quite like a 30-minute power nap. It has been a long day. You come home, sit in your favorite location. Noting that you are the only one home, you close your eyes and you sleep. You wake 30-35 minutes later, perhaps with a bit of disappointment that it wasn’t longer, but you let out an exclaim of relief. Now didn’t that feel good? We realize more than ever after a power nap that we need rest.
The contentious conversation regarding the Sabbath is no small matter. Yet, as followers of Jesus, there are rarely conversations about the Sabbath in our Christian churches. There may be a cursory recitation of the Ten Commandments that includes a command to observe the Sabbath or we may find ourselves trying to breakdown Jesus’ retort to those who accused him of disobeying the Sabbath command. Those are both well intentioned endeavors, but when is the last time you experienced Sabbath?
Our bodies were not created to operate like the Energizer Bunny. Sabbath was part of the creative mastery of God. He rested on the 7th day. If God rested, what makes us think we don’t need rest? In the shadows of this confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees is an invitation for us to not get caught up in the legalities of a Sabbath, but to experience Sabbath and the joy of rest. The invitation is subtle in this text, and more explicit in the text that precedes it. Recall, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).
Contemplate why Sabbath is or is not a part your life.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.