Supreme court and sabbath
Christian Sabbath Day observance is not a law in the sense that it was for the Israelites. When the Lord told His peculiar people not to work on the Sabbath, He meant it. Over the years, the law developed barnacles, and fences were put around fences, confusing the issue. Our Lord explained that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, so, of course, true works of mercy did not fall under the law's purview.
The law's spirit encouraged rest, especially rest in the Lord, which meant prayer and worship of God as creator, the one who also redeemed them from Egypt. The biggest shift, though, was not simply a better understanding of the Sabbath law, but its fulfillment in Christ, who came to be our Sabbath rest. “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” our Lord said. Sunday is not the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament Sabbath, for it is not for us a law, per se.
And yet, we have good reason to rejoice in the Supreme Court's decision concerning Pennsylvania mail carrier Gerald Groff, who declined to work on Sunday because, as he said, Sundays are for church and family. Groff is right. The Church has always set aside Sunday as special, a celebration of our Lord's resurrection, and in doing so appropriating not the letter but the spirit of Sabbath. Yes, one may worship on Saturday or Wednesday instead or in addition, but Sunday, by the common consent of God's people, has been consecrated. So, we might say we could celebrate Christmas on December 22nd or Independence Day on July 7th, but then, the actual day actually matters.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that businesses must respect the free exercise of religion, along with its emphasis on conscience. In a free society, a true constitutional republic, this matters. What the free exercise of religion recognizes is that the state is not all in all. Before the state comes God and family, which are the primary institutions of our shared humanity. The free exercise of religion, the first freedom of the First Amendment, is a check on government and society, promoting the notion that the government may make certain demands, but has no claim on our conscience or our souls. If only the Supreme Court had been so clear when ruling in the cases of Jack Phillips or Barronelle Stutzman.
No right is absolute. But Goffman won his case because his not working on Sunday would cause no "substantial increased costs" to the business. That is, the law must take into account reasonable accommodation. In the case of Phillips or Stutzman, it is clear that no one was actually harmed by their refusal to use their talents to celebrate so-called gay weddings. There were dozens of other bakeries and florists very close by. A society that legally sides against Phillips and Stutzman values compulsion and conformity more than conscience and liberty.
Groff may or not be a Sabbatarian, that is he may or may not think of the Christian Sabbath as a matter of strict law. I do not know. But he is onto something. And I wish more Christians took Sunday, especially Sunday morning, more seriously. Yes, Wednesday may work for some and in some situations. Some jobs absolutely demand occasional Sunday work. On the other hand, it would be good for us all to think of Sunday morning as a priority, one that trumps soccer and sleeping in, to be sure. I mean, it would be a real pity of the Supreme Court made such a good decision to protect the free exercise of religion, and we as Christians didn't exercise that right, and stayed, as it were, at home on the couch.
But today, hats off to Gerald Groff and to the Supreme Court. And let's take that courage and wisdom to heart, remembering Christ, our Lord of the Sabbath.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer is chairman and professor of Exegetical Theology and director of the M.A. program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Be Informed
Reconsider political correctness with Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire in a recent Issues, Etc. podcast.
Be Equipped
“All human life is given special value because God sent His Son to make complete payment for the sins of the world.” Learn more about the image of God and the value of human life here.
Be Encouraged
“The rainbow is a reminder that God’s grace will always preserve you and this beautiful world in which you live until He raises you and takes you to heavenly glory. This is God’s amazing grace, and His grace generates your life of genuine gratitude.”
