Wednesday, July 28, 2021

The Ten Commandments

John Stromgren

The Third Commandment

The Sabbath was Saturday, a day of rest. In the Christian tradition it shifted to Sunday, but it remained a consecrated day. Not for work. Here’s how Martin Luther explained the commandment in his Small Catechism:

“Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.”

What does this mean for us? We are to fear and love God so that we do not neglect his Word and the preaching of it, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.

All the commandments are for our own good, but this one should be easy, shouldn’t it? Do we really have to be told to take a break, give it a rest? Yes. We do. And it strikes me that our typical American devotion to work could be one of the “gods” addressed in the first commandment. Are we trying to save ourselves by working? Has work become a god? Something that takes priority over everything else? Some people really don’t know what to do with themselves when they stop working. Here’s a thought: Rest. Luther has some additional suggestions: Attend worship. Listen to the words of scripture. Learn some for yourself. Reflecting on sacred things might be just what you need.