Shabbat

Shabbat

 “Then He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” (Mark 2:27)

While a few weeks ago we covered the holy habit of resting in a weary world (see Newsletter, The Lord is my Shepherd) this week we are reminded that following God’s instruction has multiple benefits. The second episode of The Chosen, titled Shabbat, finds all of the people we were introduced to last week preparing for the Sabbath. And seeing these Biblical figures go through daily motions helps to connect their troubles, and more importantly their lessons/advice/conclusions, to our own experiences. In terms of what we can explore, there are a few things we can discuss without becoming too repetitive, but one main takeaway is that there is an important distinction between rest and renewal. 

We pick up the storylines from the previous episode and continue to follow broken people attempting their very best in a broken world, all without much success. Simon and Andrew are traveling down a path of betrayal, intent now on selling out their people to the Romans to escape overwhelming tax burdens. Matthew, in turn, is struggling with his intense isolation and ingratiates himself even more with the Roman authorities, attempting to turn “state’s evidence” against Simon and Andrew as he believes them untrustworthy. Nicodemus becomes aware of Mary’s new condition and is unsettled at the miracle that has occurred. And Mary, far more peaceful this go around after her encounter with Jesus, is attempting to pick up the pieces of her life and join her community by participating in tradition.

Very little in this episode is taken directly from Scripture but continues our grounded view of these people as living breathing citizens of the world at the dawn of a new era, completely oblivious as to what their future will hold. And we can continue to draw parallels to our own lives as their very human struggles can mirror our own at every turn. Each one of them is beset by uncertainty, self-doubt, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and a degree of loneliness. All feel the weight of the world on their own shoulders and either cannot or will not find help from anyone else. Simon and Andrew, by the nature of their clandestine efforts and the social stigma of working with the oppressive Roman authorities, cannot let anyone else know what they are doing. Matthew is despised as a tax collector and cannot even find solace with family. Nicodemus is a man out of place as he begins to question the limits of the Jewish laws to which he has dedicated his life. His search for more meaning is full of self-doubt and cannot be shared without losing his honored position as a “teacher of teachers”. His wife is unwilling to entertain such notions and seems not to take his questioning seriously. Mary is embarking upon a quest for the familiar as she attempts to rejoin her community after so long being an outsider. The advice she is given is cursory and superficial, but she remains undaunted and excited to finally be allowed to take part in a tradition that seemingly so many take for granted.

As the Shabbat dinner becomes the focal point of the episode, we cross-cut between all of these situations and are given a clear picture of the rationale behind this episode. The religious rites and customs presented are approached in several familiar ways. Try to imagine, instead of a Shabbat (or Sabbath) dinner, that these people are preparing to get ready for a church service. Simon treats it as a family obligation, subservient to his own schedules and priorities. Nicodemus is ready to teach but is surrounded by those who are there merely to socialize or are interested solely in their standing within this elite group. Matthew is deterred by the assumed response to his attendance. He refuses to believe he will be welcomed and instead avoids it altogether. Mary is unfamiliar with the customs and traditions but is enthusiastic and driven completely by her own transformation. Willing to face slight embarrassment in her eagerness to learn more about a way of life she is finally excited to experience, She, again, has the throughline for us to understand the gospel message. She describes her situation to Nicodemus simply but profoundly, “I was one way…and now I am completely different.” Her encounter with Jesus impacted her, and she is resolved to remain that new creation.

“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins and both will be preserved.” (Matthew 9:17) Mary here represents, not rest from previous troubles, but renewal. Transformation that can only come from an encounter with Christ. We see that true worship is not found in the richness of the ornaments but in the purity of heart. The dinner attended by Nicodemus was marked by finery and ostentation, Mary’s by humility and simplicity. Hers retained the purpose of the feast, whereas the other had merely the presentation of the feast. God can be lost in the rote nature of religious custom, in the numbness of repetition. Mary’s newly opened eyes helped her to see the need around her as her invited guests were outcasts, never having been invited to a Shabbat dinner before. Hers is the antidote to Matthew’s loneliness. That her family is not tied by blood but by belief. And into her small spiritual family walked the Patriarch. Jesus knocked at her door, and she opened it.

Jesus was depicted for us here more than happy to let Mary lead the dinner, seemingly very pleased to see her efforts, halting though they were. When my family gathers for meals, we enjoy letting my four-year-old niece say the prayer before eating. She’s excellent at it! Not because she says all the right words and is artful in her prose. She excels precisely because that’s not her intention. We all beam with pride to hear her pray simple thanks for the people in her life and that which she enjoys. Does God beam with pride in your prayer? In your efforts to emulate Him? We are all children of God, and we should strive to imitate our Heavenly Father. “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.” (Psalms 147:10) Rediscover the purpose of the Sabbath, not to find slight comfort in religious ritual, not to take a short break from busyness, but to find transformational renewal in the arms of a loving Savior. Take heart not in your own plans or understanding but in the enduring fount of blessing that comes directly and only from God. Do not become discouraged by your own assumption, but put your hope in His unfailing love. I was one way…and now I am completely different. A prayer for me, and a prayer for you too.

Jordan Williamson