It’s About Love - Jesus

[Jesus] turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

Mark 3:4

In his 1996 book Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, Jack Deere tells the story of a pastor who found himself in hot water with his church’s elders.

One icy Sunday morning, the pastor awoke to find that the roads to church had become impassable. Instead of staying home, he put on his ice skates and skated over the river that ran between his home and the church. When he arrived, the elders were horrified to learn that their preacher had skated on the Lord’s Day. When the pastor explained that it was either skate or miss church, one of elders asked, “Did you enjoy it?” When the preacher replied that he hadn’t, the board of elders decided that he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Nothing gets the attention of a religious old guard faster than trying something new and different. If you want a good example of that, look no further than Jesus’ life on earth.

When Jesus came into the world, the Jewish religious leaders had weighed down both themselves and the people with so many rules and regulations that no one could keep them all, and certainly not while joyfully serving and loving God.

Jesus’ wisdom and compassion steered the people back toward the spirit of the Law, which was rooted in love for God and neighbor. He demonstrated that principle, and further shook up the religious leaders of his time, when he walked into a synagogue one Sabbath, found a man in need, and “worked” by healing him.

How do you approach Christianity? Are you a legalist, or do you enjoy the freedom Jesus came to give you?

Jesus came to free you from the chains of legalism and give you a life of liberty and love. You can enjoy walking in his Spirit without making overly strict religious observances.