Jesus: the law of God made flesh

INTRODUCTION

Congregational Reading

Luke 10:27 NASB95

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

———————————————————————————-

Last week Luke brought us to the crux of the Gospel through two stories. 

The first, story identified us all in the character of the leper in need of healing from a disease that rots our very soul, sin.  Luke identified Jesus, as the only one who can cleanse us of sin through His death, burial, and resurrection. 

The second story was that of a paralyzed man who was lowered through a roof to get to Jesus and how Jesus identified the faith and first pronounced forgiveness and then healing.

Luke paints for us a picture of proper order.  Jesus as God forgives and, in that forgiveness, we begin to find healing.  Not just for our soul though that is most important but also in our mind and body.  The forgiveness of God through the work of Jesus reconciles us to the Father and restores our soul to the source of Life.

——————————————————————————

TODAY 

Luke shows us what it is to follow Jesus as a person who has placed their faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

How do we as Disciples of Jesus live faithful to the law of God in a sinful world filled with hurting and broken people.

————————————————————————-

THIS IS NOT A NEW DELIMA -

Pharisees wanted the nation of Israel to live righteously to usher in the Messianic age.

Yet they often in trying to be Holy to God rejected the very people God was wanting to set free, heal, and deliver.

The became so conerned with compliance that they missed the heart of God.

JUSTIN TAUGHT ME A NEW PHRASE LAST WEEK.

malicious compliance.

Bus law - no name tag with bar code no ride.

A driver in sub zero weather threatened to make kids walk miles to school if they did not have their tag.

He is obeying the bus law - yet missing the heart of the law. Keep kids safe.

—————————————————————————-

MAYBE YOU ARE LIKE ME AND AT TIMES STRUGGLE WITH KNOWING HOW TO WALK THIS LINE.

Today Jesus teaches us how to live faithfully to God and to live with a hand extended to others.

—————————————————————————-

FOLLOW THE LEADER: TWO STORIES

——————————————————————————-

STORY ONE:

Luke 6:1–5 NASB95

Now it happened that He was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the grain. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?” And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Malicious Compliance

The Sabbath law did not forbid picking wheat and grinding it in your fingers for food.

It prevented work.

The religious leaders have missed the point of the Law.

JESUS ANSWERS -

Story of David and his men eating Holy Bread while on the run.

The law was meant to make sure the priests had food. The intent of the law was to feed those who had no land.

David and the men were not breaking the intent of the law of God.

Jesus explains why He knows the intent of the Law.

Son of Man - Daniel - Vision of the future Messiah

As the Son of Man He rules over all even the Law of God.

He is the WORD made flesh - it is his law.

Adam naming animals / know / intent of creator / heart of creator.

Jesus as a member of the Triune God knows the intent and heart of the Law.

———————————————————————-

SEOND STORY

Luke 6:6–11 NASB95

On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” After looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

WHAT WAS THE INTENT OF THE SABBATH?

Exodus 20:8–11 NASB95

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Rest from work. The law was given to protect people from bondage to work.

Salves in Egypt working 7 days a week hour after hour.

God rested after 6 days of creation / calling man to enter into His perfect rest.

And look at some of the kinds of people God names.

Son and daughter / child labor laws

male and female servants / you were slaves / Do not treat your servants the way Egypt treated you.

Sojourner / You cannot exploit aliens but you have to give them rest as well.

Even you live stock.

The Point: The law was given to protect, give rest, and restore. It was not to be a burden but reprieve.

JESUS RECOGNIZED THE SABBATH WAS TO RESTORE. HE DID NOT BREAK THE LAW BUT RATHER UNDERSTOOD IT THROUGH GOD’S COMPASSION.

Luke 10:27 NASB95

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

The law of God is about love: To God and to our neighbors.

Those in close proximity to ourselves, whoever they are.

James 2:8–9 NASB95

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Main Point: 

The Law of God is fulfilled in the positive pursuit of Love: Love of God and love of neighbor.

—————————————————————————

THIS MIGHT SEEM OBVIOUS TO OUR MINDS BUT IN OUR ACTIONS IT IS NOT ALWAYS SO OBVIOUS.

We can use the law of God as an excuse not to care for one another in times of need.

Not to touch those horrible sinners / forgetting everyone of us were those horrible sinners at one time.

ARE WE MOTIVATED BY MALICOUS COMPLIANCE OR LOVE?

The Law of God is fulfilled in the positive pursuit of Love: Love of God and love of neighbor.

It is very easy for us as a church to from clusters of like-minded friends.  This is natural.  But we are called to live a supernatural life.

There are always two groups of people we must fight ourselves to Live rightly in the Law of God.

The First group:

THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE OUTSIDERS IN THE CHURCH.

People of God who want to fit in and have real community but are rejected.

Culture

Language BARRIER

Personality differences etc.

WE WILL OFTEN USE THE LAW OF GOD OR CHRISTIAN LANGUAGE TO EXCUSE OURSELVES FROM BUILDING THE COMMUNITY THEY NEED AND WE ALREADY HAVE.

————————————————————————-

THE SECOND ARE THOSE WE SEE HAS ENEMIES OF GOD OR TERRIBLE SINNERS.

You know like a Saul who killed and locked Christians up before Jesus grabbed his heart - author of 3/4 of the NT.

Those we see no hope for - Chris and Amy Fleming.

When we give the Gospel it is covered in scorn.

YET JESUS CALLS US PAST MALICIOUS COMPLIANCE

HE CALLS US TO WALK IN LOVE - TO GOD AND TO OUR NEIGHBOR.

—————————————————————————

CONCLUSION & CHALLENGE.

I want to challenge all of you who would call yourselves, Disciples of Jesus!

Whom among us do you resist?  Whom among us do you struggle to make a connection with?  That struggle may never go away but are you willing to seek their company, to share the love of Jesus with them.  Are you willing to get uncomfortable for your brother or sister?

My challenge to you is to pursue a relationship, press into the uncomfortable and find God there waiting for you.

Second,

who is your enemy?  Does God desire for them to be reconciled to Himself and to you?  Are you willing to reject the hatred you feel for the compassion God feels?

Are you willing to speak truth that is covered in true love rather than contempt?

My challenge to you is seek the face of God for them.  Seek the face of God to give you his heart for them.  And if time arises give them the Gospel and your love.

IF WE WILL PURSUE LOVING GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART MIND, SOUL, AND STRENGTH, AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES. WE WILL LIVE OUT THE LAW OF GOD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

BUT IF WE PURSUE MALICIOUS COMPLIANCE TO THE LAW OF GOD, WE WILL ENVENT WAYS TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM JESUS AND IN RETURN SHAR EIN THE FATE OF THE PHARISEES.