Matthew 12: Dudes. Chill!

In this chapter, Jesus covers the topic of Sabbath. A few years ago I read "Keeping the Sabbath Wholly" by Marva Dawn. It fired me up about truly observing a day of rest. Even now, having recently completed A.J. Jacobs' "The Year of Living Biblically" in which he delves into Sabbath keeping, I can't help but think, "Cool." My problem, however, is the follow-through. In my truly pre-school level of understanding, the Sabbath is not designed to celebrate one of my most glaring of character defects: laziness, slothiness, fat-assyness. From what I understand, sabbath is intended as a specific time of rest and repose, to detach from the work of life and honor the sacred. I'm not comfortable with truly setting out to do nothing because it would force me to pay attention to my own sacredness, and it's tough. I don't know why, but there's a big part of me that wants to remain distracted. (Which is probably why I haven't meditated in a long time.)

In Jacobs' book, he shares the varying lengths people are willing to go to honor the Sabbath and how his own observance on a weekly basis has lead to greater peace. I've truly never tried a sundown to sundown Sabbath attempt and not sure I will because maybe the "Sabbath" abides within us, not outside of us? I know, a little groovy, but in Matthew 12:1-13, I see a message out of favor with slavish observance to the Sabbath. Personally, anytime I'm feeling rigid or feel such rigidity in others, I feel at a core level that things aren't right. I don't think my spiritual makeup is designed for inflexibility.

I meet friends for coffee a few times a week and at one of the places at which we meet there is a sign on the wall: "Easy Does It." And I see this message in the early part of this chapter. Jesus is basically telling the Pharisees, "Dudes. Chill!"

As the chapter progressed and got into the Satan-talk, I had to break out the King James bible and double check some things. In the New Living Translation version I'm reading, Matthew 12:34 reads "For whatever is in your heart determines what you say." In the King James, it reads "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." I totally LOVED this little line!!!

I believe it to be a very simple compass for my behavior, intentions, and thoughts at any given time. While I may not be a follower of Christ, I don't think that's important. What I do believe in is a Power, a Creative Force, and I know when I'm out of alignment with that Power. As indicated a few verses later, my "soul" may be swept clean of some crap, but if I don't keep seeking and learning and loving, the crap returns . . . 7-fold according to 12:45.

My best thinking is often the root of my problem, and I can get so far into left field that there are times when I actually start believing that crazy self-talk. In my opinion, those are the 'demons' the bible refers to. And those demons are right outside my door doing push ups, waiting to kick my ass.