January 26, 2023
Melissa Valerio
Here’s the scenario: You are the security guard of a secured office building that requires its employees to swipe a security badge in order to gain entry. Any visitors that come into the building need to check in with you at the front desk, show you their ID, sign the visitors roster, and get a guest pass. That’s your job. That’s the rule. One of the employees from inside the building calls down to you at the front desk and says their co-worker is having a seizure, they’ve already called 911, and the ambulance is on the way. Once the emergency crew gets there, what do you do? Do you quickly usher them in and show them where the patient is? Or do you make sure each one shows their ID, signs the visitors roster, and puts on a guest badge before showing them where the patient is? After all, that is the rule.
Sounds like a no brainer, right? Matthew 12:1-8 describes the time Jesus and His disciples went through the grain fields one Sabbath day, picking grain to eat. This wasn’t necessarily unlawful, as the law did allow for travelers or poor people to glean the crops for food eaten there on the spot. However, this was the Sabbath day, something that God ordained as a day of rest, where no work should be done. And according to the Pharisees (religious leaders), picking and eating grain was considered “work”. So, while Jesus and the disciples were enjoying their lunch, the Pharisees approached them and indignantly asked why they were “working” on the Sabbath. Jesus reminded them that long ago, when King David was running from the people that were trying to kill him, he entered the temple on the Sabbath and asked for food. The only food in the temple at that time was the bread that was consecrated to God, which was not meant to be eaten by anyone but only the priests. And yet the priest, himself, gave it to David and his men because he saw how hungry they were and in need of food for replenishment. Furthermore, Jesus reminded them that even the priests work on the Sabbath day when they do their normal duties as a priest. Sort of like our pastors and ministers work on Sundays doing what their job requires them to do. And truly, God doesn’t even stop working on the Sabbath. If He did, this world would cease to exist, and we’d all be destroyed because He holds all things together. Jesus, Himself, said He was Lord of the Sabbath. The point of the Sabbath, then, is to rest and replenish the body and soul. To honor God and to gather with fellow believers for encouragement and worship. It’s for the benefit of the people. God is not hovering over us with a judgmental finger, waiting for us to do wrong. His laws and commandments are for our growth and safety, yet even He knows sometimes it’s better to break the rule, if it’s done for the betterment of His people. He’s very reasonable. No parent who instructs their children not to run in the house would be angry if they ran from a fire. No law enforcement officer would give you a ticket for going through a red light if you were getting out of the way of an ambulance going to an emergency. Why? Because these “breaks” are fueled by something more important…. the welfare of another human being. And God’s priority is always the welfare of His people.
So here’s my example….. bedtime for my children is 8:30pm. They know once 8:30 comes around, it’s time to hop into bed. More often than not, to prolong the evening a bit, my daughter will ask for a story right at bedtime. At the very stroke of 8:30! Sure, I could make the new bedtime 8:15 so I could be done reading by 8:30, but 15 minutes out of my evening isn’t going to kill me. And I want my children to know that I’ll always make more time for them. Plus, we’re building memories, building traditions, and building relationships. And I can do that, because I am lord of the bedtime 🙂
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being so merciful to us. Thank You for your patience and understanding of our weaknesses. Thank You for always putting our welfare above the laws of this world. Using You as an example, help us to live a life that builds relationships, rather than burdening them down with a bunch of rules. In Your holy and blessed name, Amen.
Action: Rules are good, but relationships are better. Are there any rules you’ve placed in your relationships that may be hindering the growth of the relationship? Try breaking them occasionally, (within reason), for the sake of showing more love.
image: freepik.com