Father, four days ago I took up some new goals, and due to Your mighty arm of strength, I have held steadfastly to them. All praise to my mighty God, I am weak, but He is strong!
Luke 13:10-17 (<<click here to read the passage)
What is more important, people…or rules? It would be easy to say “people” when they were held up against bad rules or even so-so rules, or silly rules… But what about good solid rules, would people still outweigh rules?
Rules are important for our safety and survival, right? All in all, yes.
OK, how about religious rules? Specifically, the Ten Commandments that God Himself gave to Moses… Let’s pull an example to the forefront. Number six, “You shall not murder.” Exodus 30:13 NKJV
That’s a pretty solid rule…a very important rule. If someone breaks that one, people or rules?
How about number four?
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work… vs. 8-10
Well…people or rules?
Mark in his Gospel shares an interaction with religious leaders and their reaction to the disciples breaking this one. They happened to walk through a field of grain and got called out for “working” on the Sabbath. They had broken off heads of grain to eat. To the religious leaders, it was a big no-no! They were “harvesting”!
This is Jesus’ final statement in response to their accusation. I love how the New Living Translation puts it!
“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 NLT
So, seeing Jesus’ words, what is more important, people…or rules?
We have to be very careful here, for rules on many fronts are so important to abide by. Without them, we would live in a state of anarchy. Governmentally and most importantly, spiritually.
In today’s passage, Jesus healed a woman in very dire straits. She had been crippled by an evil spirit and had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight.
Jesus knew the rules. In fact, Jesus wrote the rules! He also knew how the religious leaders had enhanced and expounded upon the rules. But on this day, Jesus exemplified the true law and released this dear woman from her bondage!
As Mark 7:27 states, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people…”
We know people’s mindsets. We see it all the time. Some people never take a day off. We call them workaholics! (It’s easy for pastors to fall into this mindset, as well.) We all need rest. We all need to set aside our labor…and God knew that.
It is easy for us to point a finger at the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, but are we any less guilty? Many of us share similar attitudes. It would be best for all of us to look at the rules to which we hold hard and fast.
The true law, as set by God, must be adhered to but, honestly, how many layers of humanity are draped around our rendition of God’s law. How have we enhanced? How have we expounded? How have we placed disproportionate importance on our enhancements and exposition of the law and used them as hammers to beat people down? May we look for the love at the core of God’s law. May we abide by it at all costs…even if it means shedding all that we have added. For really, it all boils down to let love rule!
Aug 19th, 2020, Wed, 8:48 pm
