John 7:1-24

Rules, Rules, Rules?

They were trying to kill Jesus. Why? He healed on the Sabbath.

God commanded the Sabbath and it was a good thing. In an era when people were often compelled to work seven days a week, sun up to sun down, God said, “Enough of that.” He did not create us to work work work. He did not approve of us exploiting each other by forcing those under us to work 365.

The problem wasn’t the rule. The problem was what we did with the rule. We took it and created so many rules about how to keep the rule that it was more of a burden than a blessing. (Yes, I know it was the Jews who did this but they are people just like us.) Now they are ready to kill Jesus, not because He broke God’s rule but because He didn’t adhere to our rules about God’s rule.

Jesus actually looked at the rule which was created for the benefit of mankind and acted as if it was in fact OK to benefit mankind. What a concept! This doesn’t mean that God’s “rules” are of no effect. It does mean that what we do with His rules can often run contrary to His intentions. His rules are important but Jesus consistently interpreted God’s rules in such a way as to bless rather than burden.

As Jesus would say, “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”