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Our congregation celebrated Worship in the Park today, gathering not at our building, but in a local park, worshipping out doors and enjoying God's creation. Worship was followed by a church picnic.
The manuscript I used follows below:
The Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time; August 29, 2010
Park Avenue Presbyterian Church; Des Moines, Iowa [Worship in the Park]
Texts: Jeremiah 2: 4-13
Psalm 81: 1, 10-16
Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16
Luke 14: 1, 7-14 *
“Disrupting Sabbath Peace with a fancy Sabbath Dinner”
--} My hunch is that Luke’s story for us today has something to do with Sabbath observances. Luke tells us specifically at verse 1 that Jesus has been invited to Sabbath dinner at the home of one of the Pharisees. And because of the previous confrontation over Sabbath rituals, Luke points out that the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders, “were watching Jesus closely—as if expecting Jesus to break more Sabbath rules. And much like he did in last week’s lesson, verses 2-6 point again to Jesus’ willingness to heal people on the Sabbath—continuing to disrupt familiar patterns and inviting us to encounter the kingdom of God on new terms.
The story Luke shares with us today reports that Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a Sabbath meal. Sabbath celebrations are generally marked by 3 meals, with the largest gathering and most significant meal (the one you invited folks in for) being on Friday evening. And it’s apparently on the way that Jesus noticed the man with dropsy and healed him—to be sure, a less offensive act than healing someone at Sabbath services on Saturday, but still…. And while Jesus doesn’t cause a scene over dinner with other miraculous works or outspoken commentary on the Torah, he does seem to continue his disruptiveness by trying to teach those present the proper invitational etiquette. Jesus has been invited to the special Sabbath meal, and spends his time—small-talking or otherwise—essentially telling folks they shouldn’t throw parties like this!
Here, Jesus’ preference for the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind is nothing new; but it disrupts the way people generally think about their celebratory moments. Wedding banquets and dinner parties are important events of status; and it’s never likely that the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind are invited to share the spoils of the wealthy. And if we were to pay attention to Jesus’ storied advice, we’d notice Jesus asking typical party-goers to step aside while the places of honor are afforded those of dishonor. How disruptive and offensive that must have sounded to most of those folks at the dinner—including the host. And it’s a wonder Jesus doesn’t get kicked to the curb!
But for Jesus sabbath seems to serve as an important occasion for thinking differently. Sabbath after all has its roots in two important moments—creation, where God “rests” on the seventh day from all the work of creation; and God’s covenantal commandments, given to the Israelites on their wilderness journey after God had rescued them from Egypt, where God says,
“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.”
And it was also during the wilderness journey that the Israelites were introduced to something I call sabbath-provision. You’ll recall the story when the people complain about not having enough food and water, and having been convinced they’d soon die in the wilderness, rather than long for deliverance they yearn instead for the “food of captivity” in Egypt. But God feeds God’s people with the manna bread that comes down from heaven and gives life. The rule about the manna though, was that on the sixth day, twice as much was provided to be gathered, so that on the seventh day food did not have to be collected and thus, “sabbath” could be observed.
The early tenants of sabbath-keeping were “rest” and relying on God’s provision. And at least part of God’s intention seemed to be that of marking or setting apart God’s people by a special day for rest, gratitude, and enjoyment—confident that God would provide enough for our needs. That familiar phrasing of the Lord’s prayer, “give us this day our daily bread,” finds its roots in such sabbath observance, too.
But fast-forward to Jesus’ day, and a different sabbath observance had developed. The years of exile forced Jews to modify their practices as well as enact elaborate rituals. Taking a “day off” was something quite foreign to other cultures and peoples. Sabbath-keeping was one of the few things Jews could practice that could identify them fully with God’s intentions. Every sabbath became a reminder of God’s providing—especially in difficult times; and the people CELEBRATED. The best china; elaborate rituals; prayers of hope for better times; the anticipation of the day that God would make things right, again. It was like a min-passover celebration each week!
But in Jesus’ time, the Romans had a different, more elaborate, wealthy lifestyle. And my hunch is that high-ranking Jewish officials yearned for a status more Roman-esque. Herod the Great, the big Roman official who ruled Palestine at the beginning of the first century, had converted to Judaism and had rebuilt the Temple. And I imagine sabbath-keeping also became shaped not just by the reminders of rest and God’s provision, but became a time to show off one’s status and wealth—Roman-esque style. And so not just with your family, the sabbath celebrations might be shared with business associates, politicians, and others. Even sabbath dinner, could become more like a social engagement rather than a religious obligation.
In part, that’s kind of what I think Jesus is reacting too. His advice points to celebrations that seem to focus on gratitude and thanksgiving rather than status and position. It’s not about making ourselves look good, but serving the desires of God which seems to be the behavior Jesus is encouraging by his critique. Imagine—if you will—a return to sabbath principles of old. Trusting God to provide for our needs; resting; tending to the needs of re-creation. Sabbath is one of the practices that God initiates. God observes sabbath; and human beings are invited to emulate God in the same practices. God, not only demonstrating discipline to “rest” on the seventh day, but God who holds the needs of all people to be important—including care and support for the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.
For Christians, one of the observances that ties us directly to God is also found in a familiar meal—with special bread, a special cup, and the promise of God being with us and restoring us. And not just a table that we spread in church, but rather the many tables we share that reflect for us the sabbath images. Today, we don’t have our finest china or our most daring table service, we aren’t celebrating communion with a small piece of the bread and a tiny measure of wine; nonetheless, we celebrate God’s abundant provision. We will sit at table together, in much the manner as I imagine our Jewish brothers and sisters welcome sabbath with a Shabbat dinner. In all of this, God calling us to remember our creator, and the purposes for which God intended human beings.
That song we sang a bit ago, reminds us of the journey of a pilgrim, one who is invited to follow, to meet and share with others, to rest and remember. And my hunch is, that Jesus wanted believers and followers to entertain something similar. To be marked by God with unique observances that point to God and not just to ourselves. To be marked by our willingness to invite and entertain even the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. For us to invite them, not because it’s a nice thing, but because together with them, we are all a measure of God’s kingdom.
What if everytime we gave a dinner, or attended a dinner—or a breakfast or a lunch—we could remember that it’s in part, God’s dinner, too. That we are called to emulate God—not only by religious observances, but by care-taking of the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; not only by eating special meals, but sharing what we’ve been given with those around us; not by trying to make ourselves better than we are, but welcoming God to change us back to the people God intended in creation.
--+ Brothers and Sisters, God sent God’s son, the Christ, who gives to us the Kingdom of God as bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world—bread and cup showing forth the historic promises of God in creation and our provision—and meals by which to remember that we are all God’s people. Let us taste and see that God is good. Thanks be to God. AMEN.
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