Honoring the Sabbath October 12, 2025 St. Luke 14:1-11

Honoring the Sabbath
St. Luke 14:1-11
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
October 12, 2025

Years ago I was told that what I did on Sunday couldn’t be called work … because then I would be breaking the Commandment to “remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy!”

Kind of hard to argue with that logic.
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In my side business of Teleprompting, I sometimes have to order various supplies and I usually use a company called B&H out of New York City.

B&H is owned by Orthodox Jews and they are closed from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday — in recognition of the Jewish Sabbath.

They believe that they are obeying the 4th Commandment — “Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.”

There a also some Christian-owned businesses that are closed on the Sundays … the Christian Sabbath … if you will … the most prominent of these are Chic-fil-a and Hobby Lobby.

There used to be a chain of Shop-Rites in New Jersey whose owners where Christians … and their hour chart gave their hours, and for Sundays it said “Attend the Church of Your Choice.”

Even though they were closed on Sundays … they still had the highest store volume in the Shop-Rite chain.

These businesses are the exception.

There used to be a common practice that most businesses where closed on Sunday … sometimes due to Blue laws which said that only necessary businesses could be on Sunday.

The reason for this was that Sunday was considered the Sabbath — a day of rest … a day of worship. It was a special day, typically set aside for God and family.

These laws were based on the 4th commandment – ““Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy …”” — Holy, meaning set apart … different from the rest of the days.

Sadly … through the years Sunday became just another day. Most establishments are open, just like they are the other days of the week … and Christians frequent these establishments.

In our Gospel Lesson this morning from Luke chapter 14, we read of our Savior healing someone on the Sabbath Day … which … according the Pharisees, was a violation of “God’s Law” — at least their INTERPRETATION of the law.

Their interpretation was that all types of “work” were forbidden on the Sabbath day, such as cooking, farming, and yes … healing someone.

They were … what we would refer to today as legalists — they would keep the letter of the law … but NOT the spirit of the law.

The story before us is really quite simple. Jesus was eating the house of one of the Pharisees … and someone … as they often did, brought a man to Jesus to be healed.

And notice what it says about the Pharisees: ““they watched him closely.””

What they were looking for is any violation of Sabbath laws … of the breaking of the 4th Commandment, or at least their interpretation of it.

So Jesus asks a very simple question of the lawyers and Pharisees who were assembled— ““Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?””

We read that they all remained silent — and so Jesus healed the man, and then Jesus made this statement:

““Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?””

And we read their response … or should I say, lack thereof: ““And they could not answer Him regarding these things.””

That is when Jesus told them the parable of the wedding feast and where one would should sit … pointing out that the Pharisees were not humble.

On the contrary … the Pharisees were are proud bunch — they were the ones that thought they had arrived and they were the ones who truly kept God’s law.

They considered themselves to be the MORE righteous ones before God.

The Pharisees were fastidious in keeping the law of God.

But in reality they had gone way beyond what God intended … and they added to what God had revealed to His people.

These were ethical teachings that the Pharisees called “the traditions of the elders” — that is … oral traditions that they had codified into the laws of God …

Yes … there was the commandment to “Remember the Sabbath Day”, but the Pharisees had added to it — like, forbidding to heal someone on the Sabbath, along with other exclusions.

And that is why Jesus asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath.

The 21st Century version of Pharisees is one branch of Judaism, called Orthodox Jews.

You have seen them … the men are usually dressed in black, with black hats, and the tassels on their clothing.

The women usually have full length skirts, and generally walk behind their husbands.

They will not drive on the Sabbath, so many live in clustered areas so they can walk to synagogue.

If they own a business — such as B&H — they are closed from sundown Friday, to sundown Saturday.

Some hospitals even have “Sabbath Elevators” … which on the Jewish Sabbath … stop at every floor so no buttons need to be pushed … because pushing a button would be considered work.

I may have told you this before but when I was at St. John’s in Ventnor, NJ, one of the members worked as a receptionist in a high rise apartment building in Margate … and on the Sabbath Day she had to push the elevator buttons for the Orthodox Jews that lived in the building.
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To be fair … there are some branches of Christianity that practice legalism also.

They will judge you by whether you dance, drink alcoholic beverages, smoke, go the movies, play cards, wear makeup OR even drink a beverage with caffeine!

However, we know what our Savior thought of the Pharisees and their legalism … and this applies to all who are legalistic today.

Our Savior was quite clear on his condemnation of the Pharisees which we see in detail from Matthew 23:

““Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; FOR THEY SAY, AND DO NOT DO. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do TO BE SEEN BY MEN. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’””

Notice that they want all their WORKS to be seen by men.

God is not really in the picture at all!

I am reminded of our Savior’s parable of the the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:

“““Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’””

As in Matthew 23, the Pharisee had his list of things that he did which were in view of the people … with Jesus telling us that it was the tax collector who was justified before God.

In Matthew 23 Jesus pronounces a number of woes on the Scribes and Pharisees and I read a few:

““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!””

Anyone that says that our Savior was weak or a wimp … has never read Matthew 23!

Jesus continues calling them blind guides and whitewashed tombs.”

And then the final woe, where Jesus accuses them of being the sons of those who murdered the prophets sent by God …

… followed by his final description of them: ““Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”” … How can you escape the condemnation of hell?””

Jesus was NOT one to mince words!

No wonder the scribes and Pharisees wanted to put Jesus to death, and then arranged his execution.

They were guilty … but they didn’t want to hear it!

And then Jesus tells them what they will do … Matthew 23:34:

““Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city …””

Judgement is coming upon them. Jesus says in Matthew 23:36: ““Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.””

A Biblical generation is 40 years — Jesus said these words around 30 AD, and we know that the Temple, along with the sacrificial priesthood was destroyed in 70 AD.

This was also prophesied by Jesus in St. Matthew 24, as part of God’s judgement on them for rejecting and killing their long promised Messiah.

Now, you might say to me. This is an interesting story, and the facts about the Scribes, Pharisees and lawyers are fascinating.

But what does it all mean to me in 2025 and beyond?

I believe that the Sabbath … or Sunday … if you prefer … has lost a lot of it’s meaning to most 21st Century Christians — and sometimes I include myself.

It is NOT a special day any more.

I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home and Sunday was indeed a special day.

My family knew the routine on Sundays revolved around getting ready for church each Sunday morning.

It was very rare that we missed worship on Sundays.

While we did watch sports on Sunday afternoon, we generally didn’t go shopping.

Of course, back then most places of business were closed on Sundays.

How different it is today. Many people, including Christians … attend worship if they don’t have anything else to do.

It is usually one of the many options that people have.

And people do a variety of things that they would never have done in the past.

Now, to be sure, we are not Sabbatarians — that is, those who act like the Pharisees.

If we were Sabbatarians I wouldn’t drive to you on Sunday!

We do not — or at least should not have … a long list of does and don’ts for the Sabbath day.

But … we must make sure that we really honor and remember the Sabbath day.

We should acknowledge that attendance at Sunday Morning worship is a must … that it is our first priority.

And really, the whole day should revolve around that.

Just as we put things on our calendars — work, doctor’s appointments, and so forth — Sunday Worship should be part of our regular schedules!

Now … I must say … this is NOT from a Pharisaical or legalistic point of view — but IN RESPONSE to what God has done for us through the Lord Jesus Christ.

He has called us out of darkness … He has given us the gift of salvation … we have the forgiveness of sins … we have the privilege of prayer and all the other blessings of our salvation.

And one of those primary blessings that we have is to come before Almighty God in corporate worship.

This is where we … as God’s children … gather together to worship God.

Worship is a contraction of “worthship” — meaning that God is alone worthy of our praise, our thanksgiving, our confession …

WORSHIP is something that WE BRING to GOD.

We worship PRIMARILY to BRING something to GOD … our PRAISE, THANKSGIVING, CONFESSION etc. and in doing so … we THEN get something out it!!

By His grace … God has ordained that one day be set apart for Him — ““Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep it Holy.””

Yes … individually we can worship God at any time … we can praise Him continually, but one day a week is given that we should gather together for corporate worship.

So, let us all examine ourselves to see if we are really honoring the Sabbath … is it a priority in our lives … not from a Pharisaical point of view, but from a spiritual point of view … in gratitude and thanksgiving for all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ. AMEN.