Did you take a Sabbath?

The 4th Commandment is an impractical suggestion

Last week, sitting in a Bible Study with 25 friends I realized the rhythms that held me up and together were mostly in disarray. I had hip surgery in May to repair a long-term injury and I will be in physical therapy until November with doctor’s appointments that are far away and inconvenient. A window cracked in our house, bugs seems to be coming from corners and crevices that should be clean, and our plants are dying for reasons I don’t understand. My wife and kids deserve care and attention – especially in the summer and I desire to be a intentional father, not an ignorant, irresponsible, inconsistent or just involved one. In the last month, our dog had seizures that left her sprawled on the floor and my kids confused and sad; and my Dad fell down the stairs. Selah.

This does not even include the time and energy I spend on education, advocacy, and discipleship around ending White Supremacy, the genocide in Gaza, the kidnappings on the streets of our country by masked ICE agents, the gross theft and corruption of our current administration. Nor does it account for the emotional energy expended around the erosion of civil rights in the court system, and policy murder that is called “Big” and “Beautiful” by a President Trump, who has a history of racism, fraud and sexual assault. We must remember that despite his history and campaign promises, 80% of White Evangelicals, who claim to share my faith in Jesus Christ, did not disqualify him. Lord, have mercy.

The last few months have been brutal and I could easily justify my constant engagement online, lack of sleep, and desire to inform and mobilize folks for love and justice – but I could not justify all of that activity with my faith in Christ.

Now, if you made it this far, you might think to yourself "but what about “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”. Like all things, context is key.

According to the Gospel of Mark in Chapter 2, Jesus had just healed a paralyzed man and forgiven him of sin, called a tax collector to join His band of disciples and consistently ate with “sinners”. He was questioned about fasting by the religious leaders and some time after was challenged about the Sabbath as His disciples seemed to break the norms of both. That is when Jesus explained that He was Lord, even over the Sabbath. In Mark 3, we then see Him heal people on the Sabbath and I believe prioritize the spirit of the law over the letter of it.

It must be understood that in the Gospels, we have two and a half years of Jesus’ life recorded. That means it is highly likely that out of the 1,721 Sabbaths, He had the chance to take, He took them. For Jesus and the society around Him, Sabbath was the norm. And for me, it is not.

Moreover, the seed and primary fruit of Jesus breaking the Sabbath was liberation and healing for those observing and encountering Him. He actively challenged the status quo of dehumanizing and dismissing the poor, marginalized and disabled; and there were miraculous results because of those efforts. I cannot say the same for my life the last 6 months.

I could make a case that I am driven by love for God, my neighbor and myself. But I would be lying if I wasn’t also pushed by fear, anxiety and a restless desperation to stop the spiral of hatred, violence and injustice that seems to be accelerating. I am grieved by internment camps being built around the country, broken by speeches and images coming out of Israel and Gaza, and stressed by the Church’s indifference, ignorance or endorsement of these things. And that is not a deep well to drink from but a cause for pause and reorientation around the love of God weekly at the least.

This is one reason that I believe Sabbath was a commandment, not a suggestion. In this world, we will have trouble, suffering is promised, and injustice will feel undeterred. But if I pause to remember that Jesus is Messiah, Lord, Healer and friend, all of my efforts would flow from His victory over death and sin, not from a place of desperation, doubt and lack. And Sabbath is just that – a wonderful invitation to stop, rest, delight and contemplate the beautiful reality that we are loved by God, His love endures forever, and His love includes justice, liberation and healing from brokenness that is physical and spiritual. I need to meditate on that to move from a place of health and centeredness and not to swing like a pendulum between peace and frenzy.

I hope that you will join me in keeping a Sabbath especially in a season where it is easy to swing back and forth between hyperactivity, burning out, and disengagement.

Don’t know how to keep a sabbath or where to start? Jump in the chat and let’s talk about it.

Let me know what you think! I look forward to the conversation and comments because our screens make us into lonely consumers but God made us to be a vibrant community.

In Christ and for His Glory,

jonathan

PS. Pre-order your copy of “Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair” to be released on November 11, 2025.