(3 Of 4) Reunion: Now And Then Series

Let’s start with something I’ve noticed: for some reason, I must have a sign on my back that says, “Talk religion with me.”

The other day I sat next to a fella in a little restaurant in town. We ordered our food, and before long he started telling me about his “spiritual journey.” He said he was piecing it together from different places. “I’ve got some New Age stuff,” he said, “a little from the Watchtower, some I read in the Deseret News, and I sprinkle in a few Confucius says quotes I found on Google.”

I couldn’t help but smile, but inside I was thinking: That’s your whole foundation for life? He had built his faith like a plate at Golden Corral — a little here, a little there, whatever looked tasty at the moment. A mishmash of confused religio-babble.

And let me tell you, nobody’s building a cathedral to that kind of feckless faith. You’ll never get a martyr or a saint out of a pile of Confucius quotes from Google. Nobody goes to the stake for a plate of religious leftovers. That kind of buffet faith doesn’t hold you in a storm. It doesn’t bring rest now or hope then.

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Smorgasbord Christianity

The truth is, we’ve turned Christianity into a buffet line. We’re smorgasbord Christians, worshipping at the Great Golden Corral Church in the sky. A little grace here, a little prosperity there, skip the broccoli of obedience, and pile on the dessert of blessings.

And some of us are what I call Cheasters — Christians on Easter and Christmas. Twice a year, out come the lilies and poinsettias, and we show up at church like it’s a holiday buffet. But faith isn’t meant to be seasonal. God didn’t say, “I’ll meet you twice a year.” He said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” A weekly anchor, not a twice-a-year cameo.

And when it comes to the Sabbath, others say, “Well, the Jews had their day, and we’ve got ours. Isn’t it nice that everybody gets to pick?”

But friends, that’s not Christianity — that’s Festivus. Remember Seinfeld? George Costanza’s dad made up his own holiday — “A Festivus for the rest of us.” It was funny on TV, but it’s tragic when we treat God’s holy time like that. “A Sabbath for the rest of us — pick whichever day you like.”

God isn’t running a buffet or inviting us to invent Festivus. He gave us His day, blessed at Creation, confirmed at Sinai, honored by Jesus, and preserved into eternity.

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“Remember,” Not “Discover”

And listen carefully to the language in Exodus 20. God didn’t say, “Discover the Sabbath.” He didn’t say, “Pick a day.” He said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

But how do you “remember” something brand new? You don’t. The word itself points backward — back to Creation, where God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. Sinai didn’t invent the Sabbath; Sinai reminded God’s people not to forget what was already given.

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Pharaoh’s Complaint

Even Pharaoh, a pagan king, knew about Sabbath. When Moses asked him to let Israel go worship in the wilderness, Pharaoh snapped, “You make them rest from their labor” (Exodus 5:5). The Hebrew word for “rest” is shabat. Pharaoh wasn’t confused. He knew what Israel was asking for.

How? Because God’s people had already been keeping Sabbath, even under slavery. Think about Joseph, the faithful son of Jacob, rising to power in Egypt.

Don’t you think he carried the Sabbath rhythm with him, taught by his father? Pharaoh might not have liked it, but he recognized it when Moses asked.

The Sabbath wasn’t new. It was ancient — stamped at Creation, remembered by the patriarchs, and confirmed at Sinai.

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Try That on Your Anniversary

Now, people say, “But the day doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s the thought that counts.”

Well, try that on your wife the next time your anniversary rolls around. “Sweetheart, I know it’s the 12th, but I decided the 14th works better for me. It’s the thought that counts!” See how far that gets you.

Dates matter when love is real. If God set aside a day as holy, then saying “any day will do” is like saying love is optional. It misses the point entirely.

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Muslims, Fridays, and Buffets

And if we go down that road, where do we stop? Muslims gather for Friday prayers. So is Friday now Sabbath too?

Do we end up with three Sabbaths — Friday for one group, Sunday for another, Saturday for a few? If everybody just picks their own, then Sabbath means nothing at all.

God didn’t say, “Remember a day.” He said, “Remember the seventh day.” It’s not pick-and-choose. It’s covenant love.

And don’t forget — Friday already has its place. Scripture calls it Preparation Day. Jesus honored it when He finished redemption on Friday and rested in the tomb on Sabbath. Friday mattered, but it wasn’t Sabbath. God’s rhythm was clear.