8/24/25 “Set Free on the Sabbath”
“Set Free on the Sabbath”
What a wonderful day God has made for us! We’ve gathered outside this morning under God’s sky, surrounded by the beauty of creation, with our whole parish together—students, teachers, parents, and even our pets. What a blessing it is to have this park next to our Parish church-Atlas! Today, we are reminded that the God who made all things also made time itself—and gave us the gift of Sabbath.
I want to start with something funny I found on an internet site:
A child asked his mom, “Why does Pastor always close his eyes during prayer?”
The mom whispered, “He’s praying.”
The child frowned and said, “Hmm… then why does he close his eyes right after lunch too? Is that the Sabbath rule?”
Another little boy asked his grandpa, “Why do we have Sabbath rules?”
Grandpa thought for a moment and said, “Well, the Sabbath means rest. If we didn’t have rules, your grandma would still find a way to give me chores on Sunday!”
Do you have any Sabbath rules at home? Or did you grow up with any? My home church back in Korea, a Korean Methodist Church, had very strict Sabbath rules: no work, no buying, no selling—except for church ministry. I remember that most stores and restaurants in town were closed to honor the Sabbath. My younger sister and I served in Sunday School, sang in the choir, and helped give rides to church members. Even if we forgot something we needed for Sunday School, we couldn’t buy it from the store on Sunday. But we still worked hard at church all day. I taught children in the morning, youth in the afternoon, sang in the choir, and drove kids and adults to church. Meanwhile, my mother worked in the church kitchen with other women—cooking, serving, and washing dishes. Looking back, I realize that, for Christians, this wasn’t really a Sabbath rest at all. Some of you may have had similar experiences.
Here’s the opposite experience I had. When I visited Israel in 1994, I learned that Jews don’t open any stores or restaurants from Friday 6 p.m. until Saturday 6 p.m. We had supper at 4 p.m., and then we couldn’t get any food until the next evening! Yes, the Jewish Sabbath is observed from Friday at sundown to Saturday at nightfall. It is a holy day of rest, based on God resting on the seventh day of Creation (Genesis 2:2–3) and the commandment in the Torah (Exodus 20:8–11, Deuteronomy 5:12–15).
But here’s what I found interesting: even though Jews didn’t work themselves, they often hired non-Jews to work for them—cooking, cleaning, feeding animals, and giving rides. Do you see why I call this the opposite of my home church experience? While Christians worked themselves at church, Jews asked others to work so they could rest. Which is right? That’s the question. Let’s look for a more meaningful way to understand Sabbath.
In the Gospel of Luke chapter 13, Jesus heals a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years. This miracle took place on the Sabbath. And it wasn’t just about her healing—it was about what the Sabbath really means.
Why did God give us the Sabbath? From the very beginning, in Genesis, God created for six days and then rested on the seventh. Not because God was tired, but to show us how to live. We are not machines. We are God’s children. We need rest for our bodies, minds, and souls. The Ten Commandments say, “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.” Why? Because it is a day to stop striving, to trust God, to delight in His goodness. Sabbath is God’s weekly reminder that we are not defined by how much we work, produce, or achieve. We are loved simply because we belong to God. Sabbath is a time to rejoice in God with a grateful heart. In other words, Sabbath is to remind ourselves who we are, not what we do. We are beloved children of God.
So, what may we do on the Sabbath? In Jesus’ day, religious leaders debated this endlessly. Their rules often became heavier than the gift itself. But Jesus shows us that Sabbath is not only about what we avoid—it is about what we embrace. The true Sabbath is a day to worship God, care for one another, and experience freedom. When Jesus healed the bent-over woman, He was saying: “This is exactly what Sabbath is for—setting people free, bringing healing, and restoring life.”
I also learned something when I was appointed as a pastor. The Wisconsin Conference gave all pastors guidelines for Sabbath. Every pastor must take one day off and one Sabbath day each week. It doesn’t have to be Sunday or Saturday—it can depend on church and personal schedules. For me, my day off is Monday, and my Sabbath is Saturday. As some of you know, I spend it playing pickleball, gardening, walking, biking, or knitting. Does that sound like work? Maybe—but not really. For me, it is a time to refresh my mind and soul, to prepare for Sunday. Not literally resting from everything, but meaningfully keeping it holy. And I am grateful to you for supporting me in this.
Back to the scripture: The woman had been bent over for eighteen years. Imagine the weight she carried—not just physically, but socially and spiritually. Many ignored her. She was an outsider—isolated, lonely, in pain. But on the Sabbath, Jesus saw her, called her, touched her, and set her free. The synagogue leader complained, but Jesus answered: “Shouldn’t she be set free on the Sabbath day?” The lesson is clear: the Sabbath is for liberation. It is God’s gift of freedom.
Today we gather with backpacks and books, teachers and students, parents and grandparents, dogs and cats—all of us carrying different weights. Some of us are bent over by stress, by worries about the new school year, by illness, grief, or anxiety. Even our pets sometimes carry burdens we don’t see. But Jesus still says: “Come. Be set free.”
The Sabbath is not just a pause from work—it is God’s invitation to stand tall, breathe deeply, and remember: we are loved, we are not alone, and we are free in Christ.
So, as we bless backpacks, students, teachers, parents, and pets, let it be a sign of Sabbath freedom. May these blessings remind us that God goes with us—into the classroom, into our homes, onto the playground, and yes, even on our morning walks with our pets.
Please remember: the Sabbath is God’s gift to us.
A time to rest in His love.
A time to be healed and freed.
A time to worship, rejoice, and stand tall again.
So today, hear the good news: Jesus sets us free—free to rest, free to live, free to praise.
Let us go into this new week—students, teachers, parents, pets, and all of us—walking in Sabbath freedom, praising God, and standing tall in His love.
Thanks be to God. Amen.