JESUS…a bold wrongdoer

To understand where I am going in this blog today, you will first need to read the scripture in which I am referring to.

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. ² Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

³ Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” ⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁶ On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. ⁷ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. ⁸ But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

⁹ Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

¹⁰ He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. ¹¹ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.         Luke 6:1-11 NIV

In this scripture, it gives two examples or stories of Jesus’ wrongdoing. He boldly disobeyed but with a purpose.

For me, I would tell you that I am a rule follower. I used to live steeped in fear following the rules. If I missed one que, one rule, I would live in horror of my mistake.  I’ve grown up a bit and now I live by “I will follow your rules if they make sense.” If they don’t make sense, then my rule following wavers.  I don’t go against the rules because “I can”, but if a rule doesn’t make sense and I will break it. My setting or climate of rules has always been the church and the legalistic constraints given within the church.  

I see Jesus doing the same in these scriptures. He did not set out to break the rule simply because He could, but He broke the rule because the rule no longer made sense. In our churches, we applaud Jesus because of His boldness; we even preach sermons on it because He took on the establishment. But when we break the rules, rules which are often like Jesus’ rule breaking, we are ridiculed and judged.

In this scripture, what was the rule broken?

           To do absolutely nothing on the Sabbath.

This goes back to the Old Testament to one of the “big ten”. In the ten commandments one of the commands was for us to keep the Sabbath holy  and holy meant to not do any work and allow the household to cease from working.

But the definition of work was only as clear as the one defining it. Rules can become as extreme as the “rule pusher” decides or as the “rule breaker” chooses.  We often call it “splitting hairs” or “slicing it thin.”

In this passage of scripture, the Pharisees were placed on the throne of “rule definer” and they took that position very seriously. But interestingly, Jesus also defined this rule by His actions. No words were needed because his definition was warranted by His behavior. Words only became a necessity when the Pharisees pushed Him into providing a definition. When push came to shove, He was bold.

The first example was just a simple swipe of the hand in the fields of grain. As the disciples swiped, they filled their hands with grain, then ate it.  But the Sabbath police were standing close by ready to pounce. Once accused of breaking the Sabbath, Jesus boldly beat them at their own game. He quoted Old Testament scripture from the life of David to put them in their rightful place…judgmental, pious, idiots.

The second situation was even more bold on the part of Jesus. Visiting the synagogue on the Sabbath was right but healing on the Sabbath was wrong.  As Jesus and his men entered, they noticed a man with a withered hand. This need was not going to go unnoticed no matter what the day of the week was.  I can imagine what went on in the mind of Jesus’ and His buds. Withered hand on the left, coddle the Pharisees on the right, or focus straight ahead and do nothing as though left and right do not exist.

These are the same three choices with which we are often faced.  Look to the left and break the rule for the greater good of others; look to the right and obey the rule for the greater good of peace with those who have defined the rule; or ignore all and walk straight ahead keeping the peace.

But look at the example Jesus laid out here.  Not only did he turn left towards the withered hand, but He also grabbed the withered hand and stood front and center for the audience of the Pharisees.  Breaking this rule just made sense. So, on the Sabbath He disobeyed.

Looking at this from our present-day perspective, it makes sense what Jesus did. But we walk this road daily in our churches and religious environments. Our church world is filled with rules. Rules that probably made sense at one point or maybe not! But we continue to walk within this because it is what we know.  But unfortunately, we not only choose to walk this for ourselves, but we choose it for others to walk whether they want it or not.

In this story, the rule did not make sense, so He boldly chose to heal. I’m so glad He did because there are times, I need healing on a Sabbath and simply cannot wait until Monday.

What is the lesson here? Well, it is quite layered.

#1 Don’t be the Pharisee in your church or your world who is hiding behind an ancient rule. Question the rule and redefine it as needed.

#2 Choose wisely to break a rule when that rule does not make sense in your churches.

#3 If you choose to break it, break it confidently knowing it is for the greater good.  

Rules are given to us to give structure and guidance, but when the rule “rules” over us, it is time to question the purpose. Then we can redefine it.

I leave you with this…

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

What if the world you conform to is the world within your churches or your religion that keep you trapped in your religious piety?