The Letter of the Law vs. The Spirit of the Law
Notes
Transcript
In the Gospel of Mark
We have been looking at Jesus clashing with the religious leaders
But last week we took a small detour to talk about the Sabbath
This week, we are in the same text, but I wanted us to see the bigger picture of what is happening
What they are actually clashing over
The Letter of the Law vs The Spirit of the Law
Or the difference between What the Law says vs The purpose of the law
But let’s get reading:
Scripture Reading:
Scripture Reading:
(SLIDES)
1 Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. 2 In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
(SLIDES)
Outline:
The Letter of the Law
The Spirit of the Law
The Way of Jesus
The Letter of the Law
The Letter of the Law
(SLIDE TITLE)
We talked about the laws and expectations of the Sabbath last week
And the fact that Jesus and his disciples broke their law
Which that might seem a bit foreign to us but every human society has laws and regulations
What are some laws that we follow today?
And this is something everyone has to learn growing up
Classroom rules
Detentions
Laws
Its why we have police officers
We learn that there are acceptable things to do//and unacceptable things
But what is the point of a law?
Why do we have laws?
To protect us and others physically
Murder, theft, driving
To protect us and other legally (our rights)
Resolving disputes
Laws tell us what is out-of-bounds so that everyone has greater freedom
(SLIDES)
“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.”
—Aristotle
Laws are important
But most of these laws are man-made
Which isn’t bad—but its also not perfect…
But what happens when fallen humans make laws?
Most of them are good
Some of them are stupid
Some of them are bad and even unjust
Right, most of our laws are pretty good
I don’t want my stuff stolen, I don’t want to be murdered
Im glad we have a speed limit and traffic lights
Some laws are stupid
I don’t even want to know the backstories of some of these laws:
In Alabama
It is illegal to play dominoes on Sunday
It is illegal to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in Church
In Arizona
Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs
In Arkansas
Alligators cannot be kept in bathtubs
In Florida
It is illegal to fish while driving across a bridge
In Kentucky
It is illegal to marry the same man more than 3 times
In Oregon
It’s against the law for a wedding ceremony to be preformed at a skating rink
Are these protecting us?
Maybe
Some are just common sense
But silly laws are relatively harmless
The worst is when a law is unjust
What happens when humans make rules that are unjust?
We saw this in Jesus’s day
We’ve seen it throughout the centuries
And we still see it today
62 years ago MLK wrote this from a jail cell:
(SLIDES)
You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may well ask: “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.”
…
I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.
Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.
We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal.” It was “illegal” to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s antireligious laws.”
This is the situation Jesus found himself in
(SLIDES)
2 In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.” 4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
The religious leaders were trying to use human tradition to catch Jesus and accuse him of disobedience
And we see that Jesus points them to the why behind the law
~Is it lawful to do good?~
Isn’t the purpose of the law to promote the common good?
Here Jesus is making a distinction between the letter of the law and the Spirit of the law
The Spirit of the Law
The Spirit of the Law
The Spirit of the law has to deal with the deeper reason and purpose behind the law
The letter of the law is a simple box to check
An example from Leviticus
(SLIDES)
14 Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you are to fear your God; I am the Lord.
The letter of the law
The Spirit of the law
Don’t take advantage of those with disabilities
Don’t take advantage of others’ weaknesses
It is far easier to say I never cursed a deaf person or tripped a blind person
It’s a lot harder to say that I’ve never taken advantage of someone else’s weakness
Even Jesus himself spends a great deal of time unpacking this in his sermon on the mount
Murder
(SLIDES)
21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.
Adultery
etc.
You see laws do a great job at telling you what not to do
Our laws are more focused on how not to be a bad person than how to be a good person
Rulebook vs playbook
If you want to be a great athlete you don’t devote your time to studying the rulebook
You devote your time on training on the good things
I don’t want my swimmers to just swim legally
I want them to swim well
And here, Jesus is pointing out that what it means to please God, isn’t simply following the rulebook
Because we’ll do the bare minimum
We’ll find loopholes
We’ll check the box and move on
What Jesus is after is a changed heart
He doesn’t just want you to DO the right thing
He wants you to BE the right sort of person
He wants you to BE like him
The reason this is difficult is because no amount of laws can cover every situation
The change cannot be simply in our actions
It must be in our hearts
We are to become people who naturally and almost automatically reflect the way of Jesus
The Way of Jesus
The Way of Jesus
(SLIDES)
Jesus himself has this to say:
17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus’s bar is set high—be perfect
This word perfect can also mean complete
Jesus want us to be complete and whole people
Where our hearts and minds are fully integrated
People of integrity
There is no deceit in our actions
There is no mask we put on in front of others (hypocrites)
This was the problem of the religious leaders
I mean they have been clashing with Jesus time and time again
Outwardly they did the right and religious things
But inwardly they missed the point completely
(SLIDES)
4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
Their hearts were hardened
A man had been miraculously healed by God!
And that inner toxic self will eventually drip through the mask
They leave this encounter plotting to kill Jesus, by working with their enemies
And they will succeed
These men will be primarily responsible for the crucifixion of an innocent man, Jesus of Nazareth
Conclusion
Conclusion
And I think for each of us the implications of this teaching are profound
Why do we do the good that we do?
Its a difficult question
Maybe you’re struggling with a sin—that you can’t seem to shake
Why do you want freedom?
To genuinely honor God?
Or to get rid of a sense of guilt
To make yourself feel better
Maybe you give your time and service regularly
Are you doing this out of love for God and others
Or are you doing it to be recognized, seen, and applauded by others?
You see, Jesus cares far more about what is in here
Than what we do out here
And the deep stuff in here can only happen when we relate to God through his love
Otherwise we are constantly going to try to earn his love and approval
Every action will be filtered through this
The good things justify ourselves
The bad things tear us down
But if we are able to allow God to love us we are transformed—we are free
We are free to begin to do good things, simply for him, not because it makes us better people
And this is what I have to offer you all today
Freedom
Freedom from all of the masks and acting we have to constantly keep up
Freedom from the bondage of our sin
Freedom to be who God created us to be
His image bearers
Freedom from the law
You don’t have to earn his approval
And this freedom only comes through Jesus
Through accepting his sacrifice for you
(SLIDES)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Let’s rejoice in this truth
Reflection Questions:
Reflection Questions:
What masks do you put on?
What do you need freedom from?
