We have talked a lot about the need for rest…the main way we see that spoken of in the Bible is Sabbath rest – one day in seven, one year in seven.

In Judaism, this was very structured and supported by cultural and societal norms.  Jesus’ approach seemed to be to peel away the layers of societal and cultural norms, all the rules that had been developed over the years, and simply return to the God-given command to rest on the seventh day.

This was his usual routine – where humans focus on actions, in hopes that it will change hearts, Jesus wants to focus in on the heart.  Jesus wants to mold hearts to want to know and follow him, and where that then transforms their actions.

This makes taking Sabbath rest both easier and harder.

It’s harder, because just blindly following rules isn’t all that hard, especially when everyone else in society follows them as well.

It’s easier because of the freedom we explored last week…freedom from slavery to rules, replaced by a new kind of obedience, to a person rather than a code.  Jesus gives rest from enforced rest – he gives true rest.

We can see it in how Jesus handled the crushing demands of his own work: Mark 6:30-32 ESV

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.”

He took rest when he needed it, we have several examples of unstructured rest that he took “regularly”.  When I found I’d been sitting too long at an office job, I used to go for a walk around the block from my office.  I called it my sanity walk.  Or at other times, I would just get up and do something different.  Working from home, I might empty the dishwasher, then get back to my computer refreshed from the change of pace.

We also see Jesus taking weekly rest.  “He went to synagogue to worship on the seventh day.  When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom.”

It was Jesus’ “custom” to take weekly Sabbath rest according to the rules of his father in heaven, and not according to the rules of the Pharisees.

We also see Jesus living with an annual rhythm.  He celebrated the annual feasts – we see him attending Passover in Jerusalem, for example. As he travelled to and from various religious festivals, there are ebbs and flows in his energy and work – the big moments in his ministry regularly coincide with major festivals.  Sometimes he is in small towns, sometimes in the city.  There were intense times and places and low times and places in his culture…and his ministry needed both.

The Bible also commands a year of rest after six years of work – not to lay around, but let the land lie fallow and improve, and let slaves and debts go free.  There was also a command that every 50 years, a complete reset and leveling of the playing field should occur.  Unfortunately there is no evidence they ever listened to and observed these.

Let’s not let the same thing happen to us!

Question: What rest can you plan for today?  This week?  This year?  Now dream a little bit – what could a “reset” year look like this decade?  What about for the whole of your life?

Ryan Sim - January 2, 2014

Thursday - Act On It - The Night That Changed the Wise

We’re been exploring the contrast between the Magi and the Priests and Scribes who advise King Herod. The priests and scribes, the insiders, do nothing, and give nothing to the Messiah they have supposedly studied in depth. While Magi, the outsiders and travellers, do something and give their gifts of treasure and worship, and make great sacrifices to do so. None of us here are as powerful as Herod, as knowledgeable as the Magi or Scribes and Pharisees, but as you can see it’s not just about knowledge, it’s about our openness to God acting in our world, even in unexpected ways, that really matters. We have something to learn from the contrast between the Priests and Scribes and the Magi. Given the same knowledge and experience, the Magi and Priests use it very differently. So we, given knowledge in this world, also have choices as to how we will use them. We are given the knowledge that the message of Jesus Christ will change the lives of our family and friends for the better. He will transform our world from one ruled over by fear and manipulation to one ruled over by love and peace. What will we do with it? Like the priests and scribes, will we have all the info, and do nothing? Or like the Magi, will we go to all possible lengths to worship this God, giving him our very best gifts? Giving of our time, resources and even our power, to greet him as our Lord. So today, with the same history presented to us, we decide how we will go down in history...as knowing much but doing nothing, or as worshipping the true King of love and peace. Challenge: Explore Jesus this coming year – take c101, get in touch with me. In the process,s you can see if Christian faith is wise, rational, etc. for yourself. Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community - so check out today's reading at https://www.redeemthecommute.com/readingplan Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today at https://www.redeemthecommute.com/events/!

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