Luke 13:10-17

We have just come through another election cycle and once again, in one form or another, "It's about the economy, stupid" has been the mantra.  Life is all about the quarterly GDP reports coupled with employment/job loss rates.  Or is it?

 In this well known passage, Jesus famously reminds us that man was not made for the Sabbath, rather, the Sabbath was made for man.  I used to think that the Sabbath was a day of rest and worship.  It is.  But, it is so much more than that.  The Genesis account  tells us that on the seventh day God rested from his creation work.  That follows five times when God concludes that his work was "good" and one time when he says it was "very good."  I suspect that our Creator was doing much more than relaxing.  Between Father, Son and Holy Spirit there was likely a celebration of Fezziwig  proportion going on.  That raises this self reflection: what do I really enjoy, what enlivens me, what gives me life - and how do I deliberately bring that into my Sabbath day?  Indeed, the Sabbath was made for us.

 But there is more.  The biblical narrative provides the context for the giving of this life refreshing reform.  The Hebrews had been production, production, production slaves in Egypt.  No time for rest, just more and more output.  Hmm, sounds very American to me.  From this perspective, the Sabbath is not just about rest, worship and celebration.  It is also about liberation from the slavery of GDP, of 'keeping up with the Joneses,' of feeling good about myself because I'm climbing the corporate ladder.  The Sabbath screams (in a positive way) that we are not to be defined by our ability to produce.  That leads to being 'bent over' old people - unless one is a farm laborer, then you become a 'bent over' middle aged person.  The Sabbath reminds us that there is far more to life and once every seven days we are provided the opportunity to put that truth into practice, as it uniquely fits each of us, our families, our communities.  Life, including  the election, is not "about the economy, stupid.'  

 PRAYER: Lord, you know how trapped we are by our cultural commitment to a GDP mentality.  Liberate us from that so we can practice the joys of worship, rest, celebration and contentment.  Thank you so much for seeing not just those things that enslave us personally but also those destructive ways of life we simply take for granted.  You are so good!!

 PROMPT: Where am I enslaved by things that keep me from living a full and abundant life? Where is God inviting me to liberation, joy, and contentment?