Rules or People

Introduction

What’s the purpose of rules? Rules allow us to know boundaries. Rules allow us to understand how something is supposed to work or a game is supposed to be played. Rules do not have any force behind them. A rule either requires an enforcer or it requires those who are under the rules to internally agree to abide by them. Rules do not have the power to enforce adherence. Rules are objective. The rules do not discriminate. We know that rules have no power to keep us in check. Seeing posted speed limit signs does not enforce the rule; we must internally agree to abide by it. Sometimes we do; sometimes we don’t.

Several years ago Barbara and I went to a local ice cream establishment. I had a coupon which would allow us to purchase 2 yogurt Sundaes for the price of one. We entered the establishment and showed the clerk the coupon and placed our order. She informed us that the yogurt machine was not working. Making a quick scan of the menu, I noticed that the price of the ice cream Sundae and the yogurt Sundae was exactly the same. So I said just make it two ice cream Sundaes. She refused. She said the coupon was for yogurt Sundaes and she would gladly make those, but the machine was broken. I thought about that for a moment and made the obvious plain that since the price for both the ice cream Sundae and the yogurt Sundae was the same and since the yogurt machine was broken and since we as patrons wanted to eat, I couldn’t understand her reasoning. I was assured that the management would not allow such a substitution. Sometimes we allow the rules to get in the way.

We are going to look at two stories with the same point. The rules about the Sabbath and how it was to be kept were important. But the Sabbath was not about the rules; it was about relationship. Jesus challenges us to change our view of the connection between rules and people. Let’s open our ears and listen.

Sabbath Rules

Jesus and his disciples are walking through a field one Sabbath day. Perhaps they are on their way to the synagogue. As they go through the field they pull the heads of grain off and eat the grain. The Pharisees question why Jesus allows his disciples to violate the law on the Sabbath? What law are they referring to? It wasn’t God’s law. In Deuteronomy 23:25, God allowed them to do what they were doing. They are referring to their law. In order to keep any work from happening on the Sabbath additional rules defining work had been formed. Those who were serious about honoring God would follow these man made rules, because these rules were designed to eliminate the possibility of disobeying God.

Jesus answers their question with a reference to King David and his men eating the sacred bread in 1 Samuel 21. In other words, Jesus is saying that just as David and his men could “break the law” because of hunger, then Jesus and his men could do the same thing. But Jesus is not giving approval to the man made laws. He is instead putting himself on the same plane as David. He is also saying that people are more important than laws. People are more important than religious duties. Human needs take precedence over rules. It is wrong to make rules which try to keep people from taking care of the basic needs of life. Jesus reconfirms what had been forgotten—the Sabbath was given to help man, not to bind him up.

To make sure Jesus’ point isn’t lost, Mark tells the story of the healing of a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath. In this story, Jesus confronts the religious leaders with the real issue which is at stake—Is God for health or for death? Does it matter to God that suffering stop or should suffering continue? Is God more interested in a person being set free or being enslaved? Mark tells us that the religious leaders are watching Jesus closely (3:2) so that they could accuse him.

Jesus is aware of the trap. He is aware that all eyes are on him. So he confronts. Notice how Jesus handled this. He deliberately called the man with the withered hand out into the center, turned a spotlight on the man, said, “I don’t want any of you to miss this. Come here.” And the man stood out there for all to see. While he was standing there, Jesus turned to the Pharisees, and asked two very penetrating questions. He said, in effect, “You’re concerned about the Sabbath, aren’t you? Let me ask you: whose thoughts are nearer to the purpose of the Sabbath—yours or mine?” For he read their thoughts. “I want to do good to this man, while you want to harm me. I want to save this man and heal him; you’re thinking of killing me. Now, which is in line with the Sabbath?” Mark says they were silent. No wonder!

Jesus waits for an answer. There is none. He is angry. Why? Because of the hardness of their hearts. Is there any doubt that Mark uses that phrase so that the reader will think of Pharaoh. In fact, the Greek words for Pharisee and Pharaoh are very similar. Notice, too, that Jesus tells the man to stretch out his hand. He doesn’t touch the man or his hand. In this way, no work is involved. How can it be work if no one is actually doing anything except reaching out his hand. The Pharisees leave the synagogue and meet up with the Herodians in order to plot how they might kill Jesus. Who are the Herodians? The Pharisees love the law and in their desire to keep it pure despised what Rome was doing in their homeland. The Herodians loved the power and wanted to do all they could to keep their power with Rome’s help. Two different values working together to kill. Jesus’ words are true. Is it lawful to kill or to save? Any other time the answer would be obvious, but when one’s rules are being violated then the answer gets a little blurry.

The Point

People and their needs are more important than rules. Jesus’ emphasis in the two stories is to look at individuals rather than protecting the rules. People matter. Rules are to help people not hurt them. By declaring himself the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus does two things. First, he establishes that he is God. Only God can rule over the Sabbath. Only God can determine what the Sabbath is about. Second, he establishes that the Sabbath was never intended to be about the rules. When God established the Sabbath there were rules. No work. Rest. Everyone and every animal gets a day off. There were consequences for not following the rules—death. Seem too harsh? Think about it. The people who were given the blessing of the Sabbath had spent 400 years in captivity. They had worked 7 days a week from dawn to dusk. They had been at hard labor. God is being gracious not mean. The Sabbath was a time to reflect, remember, and relax.

But the rules were never intended to be harsh. You didn’t follow the rule and allow someone to go hungry or to allow a man one more day to live with a withered hand. God never expected the Sabbath to be about the rules. The rules were in place to provide what humans needed. God wants you to be here but the rule about attendance is not about making you feel guilty but to provide what you really need—a time to reflect, remember, and relax. The heart of God is about people. When we make the rules more important than people then we have missed God’s heart.

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