Sabbath in the Sprint

August as an educator can feel relentlessly busy. There’s no easing into the start of the new academic year; it’s a sprint that begins at full speed. It can often feel as if the to-do list is never ending. However, amid the chaos, educators show up and are ready to pour into the students and families that walk through their doors.

During what can feel like the start of our busiest season, it can be hard to slow down, let alone stop and rest in God’s presence. But throughout Scripture, we are reminded to do just that.

In Genesis 2, God models this rhythm as He rests from His work and dwells with His creation. He later invites the Israelites into the same pattern through the Sabbath: a time to cease working and rest in His presence through the tabernacle. Then, in the New Testament, God takes dwelling amongst His people through Jesus.

Luke 4: 16-21 reads: 

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”

The “year of the Lord’s favor” is a reference to the Jubilee year (Leviticus 25), a time when debts were paid, captives released, and land restored. In essence, the year of the Lord’s favor is about renewal, rest, and reconciliation. And on that Sabbath day, as Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah, He declared: He is the fulfillment!

Jesus ushers in the ultimate Sabbath rest. The rest that comes through Him is more than physical, it is an invitation to reflect on His promises and, simply put, enjoy His presence.

This year, I pray you receive that kind of Sabbath rest. The kind Jesus speaks of in Matthew 11, “Come to me, all you 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 easy and my burden is light.” True rest, which is received only in Him, equips you, His servant, to continue to pour into the families and students you serve.

God’s blessings to you this school year!

Ariana Esswein, Orange Lutheran High School, Orange, CA