Matthew 12.12 How
much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good
on the Sabbath. – Jesus
When law is lord,
people don’t matter. And when those who rule are driven only by the law, wisdom,
mercy and compassion are thrown out the window. And when the loyal try to live
by the law, they end up becoming criminals, because the law is not right for
every circumstance; and certain laws are impossible to obey. Such were the days of Israel when Jesus came to visit.
Jesus asked them plainly: How much more valuable is a person than a sheep? In other words: is
there ever a time when it is okay to set the law aside and rule with wisdom,
compassion, or mercy? The legalists can only answer that by their unbending adherence
to the law. The law is not one size fits all; it is supposed to be a tool
to be used as a guideline, and a measurement of intent. The law is impersonal,
which is ironic because it is used to rule persons…
That is not to say the law is wrong, but the law has
to be meted with compassion and heart; and the understanding that not every
circumstance can be answered by the exacting of the rule; sometimes the rules
need to be adjusted where wisdom, compassion, and mercy will be enough.
Part of the difficulty in our day is law, regulation, and
statutes are used the same way they were way back then: as a means to show force of the ruling agenda. People aren’t valued
as important; and anyone whose situation requires wisdom, compassion, and mercy
better be on the accepted side of things, or they will find themselves on the
rejected side, in difficulty. How legal zealots love
situations like these!
Jesus came proclaiming the law of love where God is the
Ruling Authority as He lives and moves among us and rules from the throne of
our hearts. When and where God is on the throne there is wisdom, compassion,
and mercy. And Scripture proclaims God desires the throne of our hearts.
Laws are intended for good but there must always be room
for wisdom, compassion, and mercy; these are the buffers that enable us to find
answers to impossible situations and allow the heart to determine the best
course of action. Laws are not one-size-fits-all, but are established for
order in society. A righteous society will take care to hold to the laws they
enact loosely because not every situation is solved by the law – sometimes it
is better taken care of by the rule of the heart.
Father God, only
You can unscramble eggs. Only You can untie Gordian’s knot. Father, give us
eyes to see and ears to hear that it is only with wisdom, compassion, and mercy
that we will survive with one another in this world. Yes, there are rules, but
there also must be a way to pick up the slack when rules aren’t enough. Mistakes
are made. Help us to be compassionate toward one another, and love each other
as ourselves. Amen
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