by Santiago Chávez
For You created my innermost parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well (Psalm 139:13, 14).
Studying any organ in the human body presents evidence of an immeasurable, intelligent Creator. From approximately twenty-four days after our conception until we die, our heart does not cease to beat, but it rests two-thirds of the time to serve our body. That is a powerful lesson in the importance of sustaining a constant Sabbath to serve others.
We see a clear cycle of work-rest in the life of our Lord that was not restricted to praying only on the Sabbath. Luke documents that Jesus’ custom was not to only observe the weekly Sabbath but also “often slip away to the wilderness and pray” (Luke 4:16; 5:16). Mark and Matthew mention that Jesus regularly sought solitude (Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:23).
Cardiac sabbath
It is remarkable that the heart has its own pacemaker, triggering a chain of electrical and muscular actions that make it beat 100 times per minute.
The pressure in the aorta immediately outside the left ventricle is normally around 120 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) upon contraction. Each contraction requires a great deal of effort, but only lasts one-third of the cardiac cycle. The leaflets of the aortic valve seal the openings to the coronary arteries to protect them. Otherwise, such force would tear the delicate vessel walls.
The pressure decreases to almost half (80 mmHg) during relaxation. This phase lasts two thirds of the cardiac cycle. Blood passively flows toward the heart, filling the four chambers and flowing toward the closed pulmonary and aortic valves. The aortic valve changes shape into a three-sided pyramid that directs blood flow to fill the coronary arteries.
Our heart lasts an entire lifetime because it rests in every cardiac cycle — about 40 seconds of every minute (40 minutes of each hour). It is broken up into rest cycles — a cycle of sabbaths, presented here as a “cardiac sabbath.” Our heart protects this sabbath because it needs it to survive and serve the body, which provides it with oxygen and nutrients.
Detractors of Sabbath rest
Likewise, our life must include the practice of Sabbath for the good of our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health and so that we can serve others.
However, we should avoid associating with certain types of people to protect our practice of Sabbath, just as Jesus did.
One such person is like a bottomless well. They demand your help, consume your time, and then hold a grudge against you if you don’t provide enough time for them. This kind of ungrateful person suffers from a malignant cancer of entitlement. They do not view your kindness as a gift; they view it as something you owe them.
Jesus had followers that exclusively followed for the fringe benefits: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26).
There can also be a smiling saboteur, a “Judas” nearby who tries to detract from your Sabbath. Declared enemies are easy to deal with, but this detractor conceals a dagger behind a smile. They may even claim to be rescuing us from our own ambition, but they are driven by envy, the most destructive force in any circle of friends. “Judas” is often a person close to you — a friend who has stood by your side from the very beginning or a colleague who started at the same level as you. You advanced over time, while they remained stagnant. They are cunning; they do not attack you openly.
Jesus understands this. He was not surprised when Judas betrayed Him to the religious
authorities (Luke 22:48).
Besides these examples, an arrogant fool is the enemy of wisdom and growth and, if you are not careful, the enemy of your own sanity. This is not simply someone lacking intelligence. Ignorance can be cured with knowledge. Rather, this fool is someone who refuses to know, someone enamored with their own opinion — even when that opinion is destroying their life. It is impossible to teach anything to a person who already believes they are a god. This sort of person makes the same mistakes repeatedly. They choose the wrong partners, they repeatedly invest in scams, etc.
Jesus lays out the recklessness of a fool: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’” (Luke 12:20).
A call to rest
Like the heart, we can serve adequately only after the proper rest. I am not suggesting that we never try to help these difficult people, but they will frequently interfere with our practice of Sabbath if we let them. We also must recognize that we, too, can be these kinds of people. Yet the most precious thing about Christianity is that we can change. We do not have to stay the same (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Jesus calls us to rest in Him:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light”
(Matthew 11:28-30). I invite all of us to live the Sabbath every day of our lives, that we may be fruitful for the work God has called us to do.
