Charles on 12 March 2005

Luke 6, Isaiah 11,12

Scripture
Luke 6:2-5
2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on
the Sabbath?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Haven't you read what David did when he and
his companions became hungry? 4 How was it that he went into the house
of God and took and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful
for anyone but the priests to eat, and gave some of it to his
companions?” 5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the
Sabbath.”

Observation
Jesus did something completely radical outside the boundaries of law -
outside the law of the Pharisees. He "worked" on Sabbath - the day of
rest. According to Jewish tradition in those days, you keep the Sabbath
by not working. Jesus was clearly breaking the law in this case. Jesus
is above the law. The law that set boundaries are meant to protect.
However, Jesus came so we can operate under Grace. We live in a new
world order of Grace and not under the law.

Application
Do I allow legalistic attitudes to rule my daily decisions? I realize
many times I have operated under the law in the past and allowed them
to become a filter to how I view God. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
- that God is counting the "sins" and "sin-lets" that we might have
committed. The truth is God doesn't look at our outward duties or even
service. He looks at our hearts. He looks at our intentions and
attitudes - the whys that undergird our decisions. Nothing escapes him.
Knowing this does provide a deeper sense of freedom - knowing that His
Grace is what we operate under - a license that could easily be abused.
And even then, He still gives it to us. This is the kind of God that
loves us enough to let us have complete freedom. This love, I am always
learning to comprehend. This is perhaps the beginning of understand the
Father heart of God.

Prayer
Dear God. Living under Grace can be so free-ing, yet the nature of man
tends to see us abuse this liberty. When I abuse it, the consequences
of the law come into effect. I am amazed at how clever this is - you
seem to have given us back the Garden of Eden, with all the human-ness
of cause and effect. I am learning each day to use this Grace you have
given me to live free in my mind and heart. Yet many times my old set
of thinking becomes a stumbling walkway when I least expect it. Help me
to operate with wisdom, your wisdom, to be an excellent steward of this
liberty I have found in the Grace you have given to us.