Proper 16C + Sabbath Freedom + 8.25.13

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Melissa Campbell-Langdell+
All Santos, Oxnard
(Jeremiah 1:4–10; Psalm 71:1–6; Hebrews 12:18–29; Luke 13:10–17)

In the antebellum South, African-American slaves were encouraged to spend the Sabbath in violent athletic pursuits, such as boxing, rather than prayer.  Now, not all pursuits of boxing and wrestling are degrading, but when a people are constrained to only live out violent bodily activities as opposed to worship of God on the Sabbath day, it is a problem. 
Frederick Douglass, a famous freed-slave who became a leader of the abolitionist movement, said:
“It was necessary to keep our religious masters at St. Michael’s unacquainted with the fact that, instead of spending the Sabbath in wrestling, boxing, or drinking whiskey, we were trying to learn how to read the will of God; for they had much rather see us engaged in those degrading sports, than to see us behaving like intellectual, moral and accountable beings.”[1]
And in this gospel, too, we have a religious leader who would not have a woman healed on the Sabbath, but who would rather follow the rules of not working on the
Sabbath even if that means forgoing healing a daughter of Abraham, a child of God.  They would leave her bound by her infirmity, in the violence of her body’s limitations.
One can almost imagine her saying the psalmist’s words:
Rescue me, O LORD, from the hand of the wicked,
From the grasp of the unjust and cruel (Ps. 71:4)
One can almost imagine her calling on God to free her from her ailment.
And here is Jesus, saying “ought not this woman … be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
What enslaves your body and/or ensnares your soul?  How can the consuming fire of God straighten not only your bent back but purify your heart of fear, of being anything less than you are?
Imagining this woman, with her bent back, her infirmity of eighteen long years, I thought of the yoga class that we have started here at church.  Not only because she had a bent back and we too, strive to realign and seek healing for the bent and otherwise infirm parts of our bodies, the parts that get out of whack due to the abuse of daily life, but I also thought of the woman and the healing of spirit that she received. 
In her healing Jesus made a daughter of Abraham clean once more, made her whole once more and restored her to the social and religious life of her people. 
Ought not this woman… be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?
And we, too, in our Yoga kriyas, or sets of postures, move into health of body, yes, but we breathe into health of Spirit, with prayers for ourselves and for others.  We strive to realign with God.
In this gospel, Jesus says “ought not this woman ... be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”  And Jesus heals her!  And this is so not cool for those who keep the Sabbath in the temple.  Healing is work, expressly prohibited.  Folks take this stuff seriously.  Elevators that stop at every floor.  Not walking far distances, and certainly not anything like healing.  Rest!
And taking the Sabbath seriously is a good thing.  We can learn from our Jewish brothers and sisters, from our Judeo-Christian tradition, and we can take that time too, to the extent that we each can, and how we can (because this is not an attempt to guilt trip those with heavy work schedules but a way to find a sustainable life in your own life).  
Because theologian Norman Wirzba points out that taking time for reflection, avoiding work for a whole day or as close as you can get, slow time, cooking and eating with your family or friends, resting and reading or playing together, being in nature, this all allows you to regain a sense of DELIGHT in God’s amazing creation.[2]
And to connect with that delight… well it is a healing experience, a renewed sense of joy and energy for life!
Ought not this woman … be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day? 
We as Christians are called into this—to keep the Sabbath holy—taking a day whether it be Sunday, or another “downtime” day in your week, and to follow that commandment.  This is a commandment, yes, but it is one that makes so much sense.  Think about it—if God took downtime, doesn’t it follow that we need rest also?  We are also reminded by the Hebrews passage today that Jesus’ blood speaks a better word than Abel’s.  Why?  Because his blood, the communion wine we are invited to share every Sunday—is a cup of healing, not a cry for vengeance.  We are called to live lives of healing, healing ourselves in a renewed and renewing Sabbath time.  Healing others.  Helping others break free from whatever binds them.
Because our God is a consuming fire, and surely when we make simple, slow, Sabbath time with God, we will find our lives being put into that fire, bit by bit. I know when I have had retreat time, I have left realizing so little is vital to my life, but the importance of those aspects begins to shine.  When we take time with God, we get that bit closer to the heavenly Jerusalem.  And we know that we will be slowly purified by God’s loving fire.  What is truly important will come through, and with regular practice, just like in yoga or any other body-soul pursuit, we can find a truly holy and healthy life.
Ought not we, sons and daughters of God, be set free on the Sabbath?


[1] As reprinted in Rodney S. Sadler, Jr “Exegetical Perspective: Luke 13:10-17,” Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol 3, 387.
[2] Norman Wirzba, Living the Sabbath: Discovering Rhythms of Rest and Delight (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press, 2006).

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