Right Rules Create Opportunities

Applying the Law

You see a sign that says “Speed Limit 25 m.p.h.”

What does that mean?

If you don’t do something you can get a ticket or cause an accident.

If that happens you’ll have a problem w/ a sheriff’s deputy and one of your neighbors.

Again, what does it mean?

You always get to, you need to, you have to drive 25?

Then, you see this: (Loose gravel, fresh oil)

What happens when you drive 25 thru loose gravel?

You chip your paint and maybe the paint and windows of those driving behind you.

Loose oil?

You end up w/ little black spots on your car.

We have the right to drive 25 thru it all but you run the risk of ruining your own car’s paint and the paint of your friends and neighbors.

The sign says “limit”. it’s okay to slow down. Adapt the law to your circumstance.

The law, 25 mph, provides you the opportunity to maintain good relationships w/ your neighbors. It’s up to you how you apply it and whether or not it’s successful.

I mentioned last week, Sara and I have a rule, as a couple, that we protect Friday mornings.

That rule simply provides us w/ an opportunity.

What we do w/ that time determines whether or not our marriage stays strong.

We could spend it fighting, reading in separate places, or doing our own chores around the house. These do little to improve or even maintain our marriage.

Or, we can go out to breakfast, go on a hike, enjoy time together where we can talk and do things we both like to do.

The rule only provides an opportunity. Just keeping the rule does not necessarily help us accomplish the intended goal; which is our relationship.

Life as it is, from time to time we need to revisit the rule and make adjustments to get back to what we originally intended w/ our Friday mornings.

Rules simply provide opportunities for good relationships. Keeping the rules doesn’t help much. But, taking advantage what the rule provides can help a lot.

We don’t serve the rules. The rules are intended to serve us and help us get along w/ God and each other better.

Miracle #9. A man with a withered hand came to the synagogue on the Sabbath.

The religious leaders set Jesus up. Generally, it’s a bad idea to try to entrap God. As you may imagine, Jesus turned the tables on them and publicly humiliated them.

; ; and

Context

Luke 6:1-

Luke 6:1–5 NIV

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. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 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.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Sabbath

“One Sabbath...”

The Sabbath was so much more than just a day to rest.

Observing the Sabbath was a sign to the world of the promise God had made w/ Israel.

By resting 1 day/week it set them apart from the rest of the world.

No one else in the world took a day/week off. Make more money. Wealthy had more. The poor eased their stress.

Israel agreed to work less, make less money than possible, make their relationship w/ Him a priority, and trust Him to take care of them.

God promised to not only meet their needs but prosper them if they lived faithfully and obediently.

God knew they needed a rule so that they wouldn’t get so busy that they squeezed Him out of their lives.

Prepare ahead of time, so that the entire day can be devoted to God, family and friends. Eat leftovers, don’t worry about the crops, lights on for the night, don’t worry about the bank account balance. No distractions or projects that will take you away from God and the people that matter most in your life.

But the rabbis added rules thinking that rule-keeping was the way to be right w/ God.

God gave us a few. And if a few are good, then a lot are better.

But, the original intent for the rules was to encourage time w/ God.

Now the keeping their rules

While their rules kept them from doing any work on the Sabbath. Their rules-keeping now squeezed God out of their lives.

We’re about a year into Jesus’ ministry.

Early on there was an excitement about what He was doing. Yet there was some reservation about what He was saying.

As time went on, reservation grew into rage.

People were listening to Jesus and leaving the synagogues prompting jealousy and anger.

People were drawn to the power and freedom that Jesus brought to them.

The charges of blasphemy weren’t gaining any traction. People didn’t care that He was claiming to be God. What He was doing seemed to be signs that He might be.

Many people had been healed and their lives improved dramatically by Jesus. And, the rank and file seemed also to enjoy watching their aloof religious leaders get schooled and humiliated by Jesus.

So, when they couldn’t get the blasphemy charges to stick they changed tactics and went after Him as a Sabbath law-breaker.

Jesus is now calling them out on their rules.

We’re in a section of the gospels where there are a number of confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding His actions on the Sabbath.

Last week I talked about the Sabbath laws and the burden created by the Pharisees.

Now, Jesus is encouraging people to break their laws.

The man who’d been bed-ridden for 38 years. Pick up your mat and walk by the temple in front of the enforcers broke the law by carrying his mat.

Jesus is showing little regard for their rules. Thus creating even more conflict between them.

Jesus is not backing down from the “In your face” confrontations. He’s even initiating a little.

So, when Jesus did

By resting 1 day/week it set them apart from the rest of the world.

No one else in the world took a day/week off. Make more money. Wealthy had more. The poor eased their stress.

Conflicts between Leaders

Jesus and the disciples are traveling, preaching and healing, it’s the Sabbath and they’re hungry.

Walking thru a field they pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.

Harvesting broke a Sabbath rules of the Pharisees so they called Jesus out on it.

Jesus didn’t back down.

He gave them 5 reasons why it was okay for them to do this.

The original law gave people permission to do this if they needed the provision in order to continue in God’s work. Not even if you were starving, but just needed food to do what God had called you to do.

The orig law gave them permission to do this if they were working in service to God. David was in the middle of a mission when he did it. Jesus and the disciples were on a mission, too.

says that God desires mercy and kindness over strict rules-keeping. Even if it did violate a law it wasn’t bad enough to punish. Relationship over rules, always.

Sabbath was rest for rest’s sake. Rest from vocation and making money. Work at serving God, relating to God and your friends and family.

Even if they did violate God’s Sabbath Law, Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath as Messiah and He has the authority to override. Like a sheriff who has the authority to speed.

Jesus won’t play by their rules and they are getting angrier and angrier.

One problem the Pharisees have is the ppl are siding w/ Jesus so they have little support for their plot to get rid of Him.

So, the Pharisees try to discredit Him publicly so that they can get the ppl back on their side.

On another Sabbath, they set the stage for Jesus to show everyone that His priorities are not in keeping w/ theirs.

Only, it didn’t go as planned.

The Set Up

But the new that Jesus brought in was really older than the Pharisee’s old way of doing things

Luke 6:6–7 NIV

On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 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.

Immediately Luke brings the issue up. Once again, it’s the Sabbath.

The situation had the appearance that the Pharisees had totally set this stage. They wanted Jesus to do something that would allow them to show the public that He did not have their best interest at heart. He was a maverick, lone wolf, acting defiantly against them and God. He would only lead them into more trouble.

And, everyone who followed Him would be rejected by God.

The laws about medicine and healing were very specific as to what could and could not be done on the Sabbath. The Pharisees would scrutinize everything Jesus would do that day.

If they could discredit Him just one time they could change the narrative and pass Him off as just another false teacher.

They knew their Messiah would follow God’s law. Whey they did not know is that Jesus had come to fulfill their old law and establish a new law.

Their patsy arrived. They guy with the disability that they were going to use to entrap Jesus.

They had carefully thought out every detail. They had done as much homework as humanly possible.

Again, just one problem. Humans vs. God

Their Own Law

Luke 6:

Luke 6:8–9 NIV

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. 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?”

Another miracle w/in the miracle. Jesus read their minds.

Jesus knows what you’re thinking.

One of the parallel passages:

Matthew 12:10 NIV

and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

Matthew wrote that they asked Jesus directly.

Regardless, Jesus knew they were going to ask before they asked.

The laws they had on the books basically said that if a patient was in a life-threatening situation you could triage him so that he could survive until the Sabbath was over when you could treat him fully.

If it wasn’t life-threatening, then it should wait.

This man’s hand was deformed. Certainly not life-threatening.

Jesus responded by asking them about their own law. Not the part about triage, but the part about, in general, is it okay to do good on the Sabbath?

IOW, does your law allow that if you have an opportunity to do something good for someone you should do it? And, if you don’t, then you’ve done evil?

The answer to both is yes.

Also from Matthew, Jesus asked them if they would save an animal in trouble on the Sabbath. He knew their answer would be yes.

Jesus knew these religious leaders would not hesitate to save a lamb or donkey caught in a pit.

But they would hesitate to save a person.

Their law was more restrictive regarding people than animals.

They are silent hoping he would blink.

Maybe they’ve got Him right where they want Him.

Maybe not.

After a pause, Jesus broke the silence

Matthew 12:11–12 NIV

He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Jesus responded by asking them about their own law. Not the part about triage, but the part about, in general, is it okay to do good on the Sabbath?

IOW, does your law allow that if you have an opportunity to do something good for someone should you do it? And, if you don’t, have you’ve done evil?

The answer to both is yes. It would be evil to not do good if the opportunity presented itself even on the Sabbath.

Right out of their own rule book.

It does not violate the law to something good for someone.

Their law and they were silent against it.

In reality, their law allowed them the opportunity to good.

But, their application here restricted that opportunity and they expected Jesus to honor this restriction.

Most frustrations in life are due to unfulfilled expectations.

Give That Man a Hand

Luke 6:10–11 NIV

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. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

A friend in Minot told me this story. Some time before I arrived to serve in that church a group of special need adults came to a evening service. One of the church’s usual soloists sang and inspiring song that night.

In response, one of these adults said, loudly, “Give that man a hand!” And proceeded to clap w/ one hand.

Anyway, Jesus, after pointing out that healing on the Sabbath is not contrary to their law, He healed the man’s hand.

The language indicates that Jesus asked him to raise his arm and extend it high so everyone can see.

As he extended his arm, he straightened out his hand. It was as good as the other hand. The restoration was complete.

For the first time in his life he could use both hands to clap.

More irony. Jesus did not work this day. He didn’t apply any meds, externally or internally. He didn’t touch the man. He only spoke telling the man to extend his hand.

Jesus didn’t even break the law that they had thought they were going to catch Him in.

The Pharisees were furious with Jesus. They had schemed to publicly indict Him. And, He turned the tables and publicly humiliated them by taking their law showing their inability to apply it accurately.

And, in front of everyone he healed the man w/out breaking their law. They had no case against Him.

They were so offended that they began to plot His death.

Matthew 12:14 NIV

But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

This is the first time they go public w/ their intentions to kill Jesus.

Before it had gone unspoken, but now they were beginning to talk among themselves as to how they could pull this off.

They even engaged their enemies in the scheming

Mark 3:6 NIV

Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Common enemy. Herodians were Jews that worshipped Herod. They denied God, setting themselves against the Jews who worshipped at the synagogue and resented Roman rule.

But now they found one thing they could agree on. Jesus needed to die.

Yes, He did. But not for the reasons the Pharisees thought.

Their lifestyle of rule-keeping had squeezed God out of their lives.

They had squeezed Him out now the sought to rub Him out.

They adjusted their lives to suit the rules. They had elevated their work above their faith to the point that they no longer had faith, they only had the work they did.

Jesus came as the Lord of the Sabbath. Meaning, He had complete authority over who did what on the Sabbath.

The traditions and laws of the Pharisees were absurd and now obsolete. Jesus was flying in the face of the religious establishment of the day and His point was that there was a new way now and He was it.

The Old had run its course and had come to an end. Jesus was ushering in the New way.

Ironically, the New was mostly Old. There is a New Covenant. But, Jesus has always been the Messiah even since creation.

Faith in a gracious God to do something man cannot do for himself would provide the opportunity for a personal relationship with God.

The relationship was new. But the Messiah was Old news.

When God gave us the initial rules they were intended to provide opportunities build and maintain good relationships.

Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Don’t sleep w/ your neighbor’s wife.

These are bumpers, fences. We have complete freedom to roam w/ in these bumpers.

The law was intended to bend to us, not us to it.

The law says 25 mph. It’s a limit, not a mandate. The conditions determine that the law be adapted to our needs.

Driving the speed limit does little for our relationships.

Driving so we don’t damage each other’s cars, does a lot more.

Applications

Rules

Rules serve us we don’t serve them. Adapt them to enhance your opportunities for better relationships.

Beyond God’s word, establish a few personal rules.

A quiet time every day.

Church every Sunday

Bible study every week

Pray w/ us every 3rd Thursday

Rough-rider rides, Luau, Oktoberfest.

These rules won’t do much for you relationship w/ God. What you do with the time you’ve set aside can do a lot.

These rules provide opportunities, that’s all.

Worship, study, pray, listen, serve, play

If you don’t have rules like this then your relationship w/ God will suffer.

Create a few rules for yourself and take full advantage of the opportunities they offer

Squeeze Play

Don’t get so busy you squeeze God out of your life.

Make Him a priority.

God established the Sabbath b/c He knew we’d gravitate toward activities that limit our opportunities w/ Him.

This is why God gave us the rule in the first place. He knows us.

We will get busy doing things we’d rather do or things we think are more productive than than do things that keep us close to Him.