Thoughts for another day

January 26, 2009.

Today's verse: Ex. 20:8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

In the 1970s when I was small and learning the Ten Commandments by rote, I wondered what the above, meant. All the other commandments when explained to my small brain made sense for they warned about not doing something wrong. But, keeping the Sabbath holy what did it mean? Not many could explain satisfactorily and for many it meant and for me too it came to mean, going for Sunday service (the Mass as I am catholic). Besides, it also meant a good dish for lunch and a lazy day at home.

On growing up, I wondered whether that really was keeping the Sabbath holy. It could probably be considered a small part but in no way could it be the whole picture. The commandment stretches further saying, ‘six days you may labor and do all our work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God…’ It is necessary to understand that God meant the Sabbath to be a day when you laid down all things and gave Him the day. You consecrated the whole time to Him. Perhaps on the days of work, you may not have time to think of God. You may not be able to worship or adore Him. That’s why you took a break from work and set yourself apart for God on the Sabbath.

In developing this understanding, a whole new dimension opens up. Sabbath becomes a sign of relationship and communion with God our Creator. Our relationship with Him must blossom into a mature relationship of being together like that of a man and woman after marriage. The Jews of Jesus’ time though did not quite have a right understanding of the Sabbath. It was a pretentious keeping of tradition. But Jesus corrected that by healing on the Sabbath. For us too walking in the shadow of His wings does not mean alienation from others, rather a better relationship with them, reaching out in love because of our connection to Him who is the fount of love thereby achieving a state of being right before ‘God and man’.