The 10 Commandments continued to be revered by segments of the population even today. Traditionally esteemed by the founders of this country, they have been displayed in government buildings, courtrooms, and in homes across the country. Just recently, Louisiana proposed requiring the 10 Commandments to be displayed in every public classroom. Christians and Jews alike recognize the 10 Commandments as the source of the West’s broader moral values and the foundation of many of our laws and legal system.
Yet within these religious communities, there are stark differences in how the fourth commandment is observed, that is “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,”. Christians unabashedly reject this commandment, as it is stated in the Bible, whereas observant Jews often adhere to it with Pharisaical strictness. Yet the Sabbath commandment states it this way, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you nor your sons, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your ox, your donkey, nor the sojourner within your gates. For in six days God recreated the heavens, the earth and the sea. And all that is in them. And He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, He blessed the Sabbath day, and He made it holy” (Exodus 20:11).
Christians often cite differing reasons for dismissing the Sabbath commandment and observing Sunday instead. Many mistakenly believe Jesus was resurrected on Sunday, while others see the Sabbath as specifically for the Jewish people. Many simply believe the Sabbath rest symbolizes the ultimate rest found in Jesus Christ, and they enter into a perpetual rest or Sabbath, just by simply accepting Him. For these and many other reasons, Sunday observance has become the Christian day of worship. Yet it’s really no more than a day to possibly attend church. Not many do that anymore. They do this if it’s convenient. It often serves as a sort of mini weekly vacation day to catch up on chores, projects, recreational activities, or simply to “veg out” and watch sports on the TV. This represents a complete dismissal of the concept of a holy day.
On the other hand, Jewish traditions placed significant restrictions on physical activity during the Sabbath. Such as a limit to the distance an individual can walk on the Sabbath. I believe it’s around 1/6 of a mile or about 1 kilometer. Also, observant Jews use Friday as a preparation day. A day for avoiding traditional prohibitive activities on Saturday, such as driving, cooking, using electronic equipment, turning on lights, writing, drawing, carrying items, etcetera. These rules aim to create an atmosphere of rest. A feel of reflection and spirituality distinguishing the Sabbath from the rest of the week. And this sounds well and good, but Jesus had to rebuke the Pharisees, saying, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).
In the church, we see and have seen both extremes, One viewing the Sabbath as a mere day of rest. A day to do nothing and relax, to a more strict adherence to rules in order to avoid breaking the Sabbath. I would like to consider an approach to the fourth commandment, around the concept of Godly love, stemming from the Greek word “agape.” Consider what agape is and how it changes or affects your approach to the Sabbath. And what does this look like in practice?
Agape is a Greek word, often translated as “love or charity.” It represents a specific type of love, distinct from other forms such as eros, which is romantic love. Or philia, which is brotherly love, or Storge [STORE – jay], family love.
Agape is selfless, characterized by a deep care and concern for others. It involves a willingness to sacrifice one’s own need or desires for the well-being of others and is frequently used to describe the nature of God’s love for humanity. Agape is not just feeling, but is demonstration through action. It is about doing good for others, even at personal cost. It is the love we are to have for God and for one another, ultimately exemplified in how we keep His commandments.
Agape represents the highest form of love: selfless, sacrificial, and active, exemplified by God’s love for humanity and the love Christians are called to exhibit to one another. This characteristic should define our approach to one another on the Sabbath day.
So how do we approach the Sabbath with agape love? There are multiple well known verses that convey this approach. Like one where John states, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Or Paul saying, “Fulfill my joy by being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2.2). Paul also makes it clear, that “the purpose of the commandment is love” (1 Timothy 1:5).
The Sabbath was always intended to be a sign of God’s people. In a similar manner, agape love is also to be a sign of those God has called (Exodus 31:13). We should be known by both, agape love and the Sabbath. And this should drive how we view each other as Christ said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35).
Paul also exhorted Christians to not forsake the assembling on the Sabbath day: “. . . consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25). So, what does this look like in practice?
“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro . . . but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:14-16).
Paul describes the church like a physical body, a functioning body where every part works together to support one another. And with this in mind, consider the occasion when Jesus and His disciples were hungry as they were walking on the Sabbath. They went out into a wheat field and collected enough wheat to satisfy their hunger (Mark 2: 23-24, 27-28). Now consider the symbolism that Paul conveyed with this story:
These men’s bodies needed energy. What happened? The stomach tells the mind, “It’s time to eat.” The mind considers the options. “Do I need a snack? A meal? Should I wait it out?” And just then the eyes see the wheat field. A decision is made. With the bones supporting the body, the muscles and the joints respond to get to the food and then prepare it. In this case, separating the wheat from the chaff. Then comes the mouth and the throat to consume the food. The stomach digests and takes in the new energy. All the while the internal organs are doing their part to maintain a functioning system, so all of this can take place. Every part is working together to support one another. And this requires effort, and sometimes work, depending on the part of the body you are. A lot going on, just for a little food in this case. Yet in spite of the Pharisees protest at this occasion, this was work that is fully acceptable in keeping the Sabbath and keeping it holy.
So, taking it to a spiritual level, this approach means considering one another’s needs and supporting and blessing one another as if we are a body. We’re not leaving it to someone else to fill a need that you or I can do.
Consider Jesus’s example. He healed on the Sabbath multiple times, supporting individuals in need. It’s worth noting, He did not go and search out all who were in need of healing, but when the need was made known to Him, He filled it. Just like when he and his disciples went out after the wheat. They collected just enough to satisfy their hunger without violating the Sabbath, by harvesting in excess. They just filled their need. This principle should guide our Sabbath observance.
And just consider there are some biblical examples when a fair amount of work was required on Sabbaths. Many of these were extenuating circumstances where a fair amount of work was done. Consider Noah and his family. They spent a little over a year on the Ark. A year of Sabbaths, daily care of the Ark, and of the animals. That must have been quite laborious. I’m sure they took steps to separate and make the Sabbath special and holy. Nevertheless, the animals still required care.
And what about the Exodus out of Egypt? The trek alone to the Red Sea, was typically believed to have covered the course of the week known as the Days of Unleavened Bread. This covered at least two holy days, and perhaps a weekly Sabbath, depending if it fell on one of the Holy Days or not.
Or what about the Siege of Jericho? That was a seven-day campaign. At least one of the days marching around the city fell on the Sabbath. Sacrificial duties for the priests occurred every Sabbath and high holy day. Slaughtering animals is hard work. And yet Israel was told not to go out and gather wood for burning, to kindle a fire, to collect mana, to do customary work. My point being, there is some nuance needed in keeping the Sabbath which includes keeping the Sabbath that is guided by agape.
And today in the modern church, general needs are shared by all. For example, we all get hungry and bringing and serving snacks after services helps extend our time together. And there are specific needs to how we traditionally conduct Sabbath services. For some congregations there is a need for a set up for live streaming and afterwards, the breakdown. The roles around the traditional service also include songs and prayers, messages and often special music. There are also specific individual needs that occur on specific Sabbaths. This could be like helping with travel to church, visiting shut-ins, anointings.
So, when approaching the Sabbath, we should always keep in mind how Jesus kept it as recorded in the gospel accounts and how often it was in conflict with traditions set up by man. And yet He always kept the Sabbath perfectly. His approach to the Sabbath and keeping it holy was always one of outgoing concern. And He always supplied what the spiritual body needed.
So when viewing the Sabbath through the lens of “agape love”, it is not about justifying work on the Sabbath. It’s about avoiding unnecessary self-serving work, and focusing on helping others to have a holy Sabbath. The Sabbath is not a day of strict restrictions or a day to recharge at the expense of others. It’s a holy day intended for the spiritual body to work together in harmony, causing growth and edifying itself in love.
Ryan Welsh