The Fourth Commandment

When God created the world, He did it in six days.  The six days were not twenty-four hour days as we know them today.  Each day was probably a period of time which extended into unlimited time.  But then, God concluded His creating work, and He rested.

Remember to keep the Sabbath Day Holy.

Jesus Has a Conflict with the Scribes and Pharisees

On several occasions, Jesus came into conflict with the Scribes and Pharisees.  The Scribes and Pharisees were professional teachers and scholars.  It was their duty to interpret Scripture and Jewish Law.  They kept fast to the letter of the law and a literal interpretation of it.

On two occasions, Jesus came into conflict with Scribes and Pharisees about the strict observance of the Sabbath Day.  In one instance, Jesus cured the withered hand of a man.  In the second instance, Jesus cured a woman who had been humped over for many years.  Both miracles were performed on the Sabbath Day.

When He was admonished for performing the miracles on the Sabbath Day, Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  But Jesus did not mean that the Sabbath should no longer be a Holy Day and a day of rest.  He admonished the Scribes and Pharisees for paying more attention to the letter of the law, rather than be ready to help, comfort and minister to those who had needs.

There is no conflict nor contradiction between keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and being merciful, compassionate, understanding and helpful to those in need.

Jewish Sabbath and Christian Sunday

Jesus was resurrected on the day after the Jewish Sabbath.  The Day of Resurrection came to be called “Kyriaki.”  “Kyriaki” in Greek means “Day of the Lord.”  St. Paul instructed the early Christians to gather on “Kyriaki” for the Eucharist Service, the Divine Liturgy.  Later, during the great persecutions of the second century, one of the Roman Governors, Pliny, wrote that the Christians gathered for worship on “Kyriaki.”

In 321 A.D., after the persecutions were stopped by Constantine the Great, he declared “Kyriaki” a legal day of rest.  From that time on, “Kyriaki” became the Christian Sabbath Day throughout the Roman Empire.  The ancient Romans had a day which they dedicated to the sun.  When Constantine the Great declared “Kyriaki” as the Sabbath Day, the pagans adopted the same day in observance of the “Venerable Day of the Sun.”  Eventually, the two words, “sun” and “day,” came to be used as Sunday in English.

The Day of the Lord: Divine Liturgy

The Day of the Lord and the Divine Liturgy are synonymous for the Orthodox Christian.

Hopefully, you would have had enough exposure to the Divine Liturgy to understand it and follow it.  But understanding and following the Divine Liturgy are not enough.  Even reciting the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and a few responses are not enough for you.  You want more.  You need more.  You demand more.  And rightly so!

The Divine Liturgy is called the Taborian experience.  Jesus took Peter, James and John up to Mount Tabor with Him a few weeks before His journey to Jerusalem.  The disciples saw Jesus transfigured (they saw Him in a supernatural way -- other than how they normally saw Him).  Jesus was conversing with Moses and Elijah.  When the vision concluded, Peter, James and John fell to their knees.  Peter said, “Lord, it is good to be here.  We want to build three altars here; one for You; one for Moses; one for Elijah.”  But Jesus refused.  He invited them to go back down the mountain side where His ministry awaited Him.  If Jesus were speaking in our language today, He would probably say, “Nothing doing!  Let’s go back down where life goes on!”

The Divine Liturgy is a Taborian experience.  We do not live in the Church, we live in our homes, at school, and wherever else we spend our time all week long.  We go to Church on Sunday to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

• to pray with Him

• to ask His blessings

• to seek His guidance in our troubled life

• to take strength that only He can give us.

We meet Jesus through prayer, scripture, sermon and Holy Communion.  But just like Peter, James and John of the Bible, and the early Christians, we go back down the mountain side -- put the door of the Church -- and try to live and act out all the things we learn, feel and acquire from Jesus.

Of course, we could do what is right and act like Christians without going to Church on Sundays...providing we did not have all the temptations; providing we had all the answers to life’s problems; providing we were strong enough to be wholesome, good, moral and upright.  But none of us is strong enough to be able to go it alone.

Jesus frequented the synagogue, read from the scripture and literally immersed Himself in religion.  The example of our Lord serves more than a historical, biblical, figurative illustration.  Jesus felt a great need for active participation in corporate worship to help Him undertake His mission of redemption.  If the Lord Jesus Christ found it necessary to set aside a certain amount of time each Sabbath Day, how much more should we?

We can be taught about the Divine Liturgy, but we must be nourished in the Divine Liturgy if it is to have any influence on our lives.  Only through our presence and weekly participation in the Divine Liturgy can we meet Christ, be enlightened, inspired, and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit.  There are no shortcuts in worship.  The only way is knowledge, understanding and full participation.

Conclusion

When you were younger, the bible stories and simple catechism lessons you were taught were exciting, interesting and important.  But now that you are older, and need more concrete reasons for reading the Bible, for praying, and attending the Divine Liturgy.  But even though the Bible begins to reveal insights for you; even though prayer and liturgical life take on new meaning, you will still find yourself wondering, questioning, doubting, debating, disagreeing, and even challenging your priests and Christian Education leaders.  Do not be alarmed nor distressed.  This curiosity and searching are your particular way of seeking to be reassured that your Orthodox Christian Faith is a solid, firm and lasting way of life.  As your maturity takes on depth and greater comprehension, all the pieces to the puzzle begin to fit into place.
 

* adapted from Teenage Ten Commandments (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 1989)
by Rev. Fr. George Nicozisin