The Fifth Sunday in Lent: We Fast by Observing the Sabbath

We have been looking at fasting according to Isaiah 58 this Lent. So far, we have learned several truths:

1) Fasting is not all about us. 

2) We fast to help the oppressed and resist injustice. 

3) We fast to feed others.

4) We fast from negative words

Yet, fasting also involves observing the Sabbath.

There are entire books devoted to the subject of keeping the Sabbath, so as one might expect, this post will not be as detailed as those. 

 Isaiah 58:13 tell us that we should:

-keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

-keep yourself from doing as you please on my holy day

-call the Sabbath a delight

-call the Lord's day honorable

First and foremost, the Sabbath is a day of rest. If we choose to catch up on chores, we are breaking the Sabbath. (There are people with jobs that require them to work on Sunday & this is not to criticize or shame them. If required to work on a Sunday, choose another day as your Sabbath. If you must work 7 days a week, set aside time each day for mini-sabbaths). 

Secondly, the Sabbath is not a day for focusing on ourselves and our desires. We worship God on the Sabbath. It is not about us on this day, it's about Him. If we just focus on ourselves and do as we please on the Sabbath, then we are going against God's commands here. 

Thirdly, the Sabbath should be a delight. Reserve special books, foods, or activities for Sundays. Make it a special, relaxed, and enjoyable day. Get out in nature & marvel at God's creation. Curl up with a fairy tale that points you toward God as you sip a cup of tea. Post-pandemic, invite someone over & catch up as you cook a meal together & then eat it. (Where did we get the idea that all the food should be ready when the guest arrives?) As we hold both the previous instruction (not making the Sabbath all about us & our pleasures) together with this instruction, let us consider ways make the Sabbath a delight, not just for us & our families, but also those we interact with. Tip the standard 15% throughout the week, but consider tipping 20% on Sundays. Bake some cookies and then share them with a neighbor. 

Fourthly, we are to "call the Lord's day honorable". As I typed this, I realized that I wasn't quite sure what that phrasing meant exactly, so I skimmed through to see how the various English translations phrased it. Alternatively, we are told to "honor the Sabbath in everything we do on that day" or "honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly" or "call the holy of God honorable (or glorious and glorify Him) or "consecrate it as glorious to the Lord". We are to "treat it with respect". This just isn't a day off. Christians and non-Christians alike have days off. This is a holy day where we worship and glorify God. We remember that WE are not keeping the world going, because we stop & rest once a week as life goes on. 

Disclaimers:

1) Friday night to Saturday night or all day Sunday? Yes. Again, there are plenty of debates about this online and in books. If you feel one day is more biblically accurate to observe the Sabbath, make that day your Sabbath. If you feel all days are the same & there isn't a special or specific day for Sabbaths, then choose a day & rest every 7th day from that. See Romans 14 (verse 5 specifically) for Paul's teaching on this matter.

2) It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath (See Matthew 12:12, Mark 3:4, and Luke 6:9) We should not use the Sabbath as an excuse not to help people. We can set boundaries & normally abstain from work on the Sabbath, but we can also recognize that there as exceptions to this rule as emergencies do arise even on the Sabbath.

3) The Sabbath was made for us, not the other way around (See Mark 2:27). The Sabbath was not meant to be a burden and a stressor as we attempt to keep it perfectly. It was created so we would have a day of rest and rejuvenation each week as we worship God. This will look different for each person. Resting for me might involve reading a book; whereas that might be work for a professional editor. Resting might be cooking an elaborate meal for someone too busy to cook during the week, but the chef might rest by going on a walk. 

How can you keep the Sabbath, during Lent and beyond?