Season 1 Eps 2 Shabbat

[Dr. Shane]

There is so much to stimulate discussion in this episode.  The celebration of Sabbath, starting on Friday night is something I enjoy.  Many Adventist churches have Friday night vespers in the church or in a member's home if it is a small congregation.  I am told that the Friday evening service in a Jewish temple is always attended more than their Sabbath morning service.  When my children were younger, we would have a special meal each Friday evening to welcome the Sabbath.  I would pick out a bouquet of flowers for the table centerpiece and we would have a special dessert.  There were times we would be invited to the homes of friends on Friday evening to participate in family worship with them.

The celebration of Sabbat is rich in culture and adds something to our faith that many Sunday observers do not have in their faith tradition.  There does seem to be extremes in Adventist churches that I have observed.  Some Adventist churches have only a Sabbath morning service - no Friday vespers and no Sabbath afternoon AY.  Other Adventist churches have an abundance of Sabbath activities that one can get worn out or overstressed.  There is a happy middle area where the Sabbath relieves stress, instead of causing it, and is truly a day of rest. 

In the end of this episode, Jesus comes to dine with Mary on Sabbath.  He honors her by insisting that she pray for the meal.  I think this is representative of Jesus coming into our homes when we welcome the Sabbath with our families.  "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." (Rev. 3:20)

 

 

[Dr. Shane]

The Sabbath is the focus of this episode. We see four different ways of receiving the Sabbath. Those are the dinner with Mary, the dinner with Nicodemus, Simon working, and Matthew with his dog. These all contrast each other. Which one would you like to receive the Sabbath with?

The Sabbath dinners of Nicodemus and Mary contrast because one is cast as a show where Nicodemus performs. Mary's is sincere where Jesus comes to dine. Nicodemus senses something isn't right. He sees that people have put him on a pedestal and knows he doesn't belong on it. He meets with Mary during this episode and learns that someone else healed her. He is perplexed that the Healer wishes to remain anonymous. This is on his mind as he attends the Sabbath dinner and performs for those in attendance. Mary, in contrast, is honored and shocked when Jesus shows up at her home. So we have Mary with a pure heart but little self-confidence. We have Nicodemus who is questioning his own self-confidence. The two dinners are very different but both Mary and Nicodemus know they lack something.

The episode also contrasts Simon and Matthew. Although it is highly unlikely that at this time in history that a Jew would go fishing on the Sabbath, it does present a good contrast with Matthew and is applicable to Christians (especially Seventh-day Adventists) today. Matthew is a tax collector. He has basically sold his soul for riches. Yet when Sabbath comes, he finds himself drawn to his father's home where he is not welcome. He shares his Sabbath dinner with his dog. It is interesting that Matthew has turned his back on his people. He has sold out to Rome. And, yet still honors the Sabbath day. I have known Adventists that quit attending church but still observe the Sabbath. The day is so holy that once a person understands the significance of Sabbath, even when they fall into a life of sin, many will not work on it. In contrast to the tax collector, Simon is working on Sabbath. Simon is the self-sufficient one. Instead of trusting in God to resolve his problems, he comes up with a plan to fix things himself.

Laura Silva plays Eden, Simon's wife, in The Chosen and does an incredible job. She confronts Simon about working on the Sabbath. She basically says, 'You answer to God this time but next time you answer to both of us, because I don't have the strength to do this again'.  The Chosen places women in a view that empowers them. We also see Mary being empowered in this episode. She is hosting a dinner to receive the Sabbath. Jesus refuses to lead at her dinner and insists that she lead out. Eden defends God's Sabbath day to her husband and tells him of her boundaries.

So where would you spend Friday night receiving the Sabbath? Do you relate most with Mary, Nicodemus, Matthew or Simon?