In our gospel reading for today, Jesus spends an intense Sabbath day with the Pharisees. The Pharisees have taken the third commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy, and have blown it out of proportion to the point where picking some heads of grain, or curing a man on the Sabbath was unacceptable to them. To Jesus' deep distress, the Pharisees have turned God's commandment inside-out, and have made it not a sign of freedom, but just another form of slavery. Jesus is willing to call them out on it, even at the cost of his life, to ensure that God's people receive the freedom God intended for them....
Our confirmands are going to make affirmations in a few minutes, and one of the affirmations they will make is their intention to continue to hear the word of God and share in the Lord's supper,...in other words, come to church. Do I think it would be great for our seven confirmands to be at church 48 Sundays out of the next 52, sitting together in the front row, piano side, listening intently? Sure! Their growth in faith would be maximized, as would their sense of connection with the community. Do I EXPECT them to do this, quitting ball and hockey and volleyball on Sundays to the detriment of their respective teams? Do I INSIST that they do this, for me to consider them “true Christians?” No, of course not. Expecting every-Sunday attendance falls under the category of a “purity test,” a rigid standard used mostly to make the tester feel good and shame the tested. Now, if they NEVER show up for church, they might want to avoid me at the post office, because I will have a question for them....
The Pharisees were the purity testers of their day – elites who thought themselves privy to the mind of God. They claimed authority in all things religious, especially the interpretation of the Law – the Ten Commandments and the other laws handed on to Moses from Mount Sinai. And the Pharisees had taken the Third Commandment we hear in our first reading - “keep the Sabbath day holy and don't do any work” - and they went to town on the interpretation of “don't do any work.” There was a specific distance you could travel on the Sabbath – any further and it would be considered work. There were certain weights you couldn't lift, certain activities you couldn't do, certain chores that had to be done in advance, and if you were caught doing “work” on the Sabbath – the Pharisees could nail you.
And there were two things about breaking this commandment that didn't seem to be relevant – the degree or the result. It's not like the disciples in our gospel reading pulled out the HARVESTER – all they did was pick enough grain by hand to stop their stomachs from growling. Didn't matter – for the Pharisees, keeping the Sabbath was a purity test, and ANY SIZE of infraction mattered, regardless how small. And to Jesus' chagrin, he was condemned for performing a miraculous healing in the synagogue, which you would think would be an incredible experience. Didn't matter – for the Pharisees, keeping the Sabbath was a purity test, and ANY KIND of infraction mattered, regardless of the outcome. Because it was the purity test of the Law, that kept the Pharisees elite. Slavish fulfilment of the Law was a small price to pay. And if someone wanted to mess with the system that kept the Pharisees elite, it was a small price to pay to make that someone a dead man.
We still wrestle with the Third Commandment, and what it means for us today. But we also have even greater commandments to deal with – things our society demands MUST be kept holy upon pain of condemnation. For instance, we must keep the stories of VICTIMS holy, REGARDLESS of what KIND of victims they are, and REGARDLESS of the DEGREE to which they are victims. Their stories MUST be believed, they MUST be honoured as courageous, and they MUST be given power in society to compensate – so say the current day Pharisees who claim authority to interpret these things.
And that is a case of enslavement BEYOND the intent of what God has given us. Yes, we are called to a duty of care for those who are victims of tragic events. But why is it only called “care” if it involves a financially crippling government program, or bringing refugees thousands of miles, or the ongoing dishonouring of our way of life? Other options of caring don't pass the purity test, and so they are rejected by the current day Pharisees who want to stay elite. And if you raise your voice, they are willing to convince social media, or your family, or your boss, to consider you a dead person.