Terence on 12 March 2005

Scripture
Luke 6:2/ 5
Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the
Sabbath?... Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is the Lord of the
Sabbath."

Isaiah 11:2-4
"The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of the Lord- and he will delight in the fear
of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he
hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth."


Observation
In Luke, we observe the Pharisees and their great interest in the
strict observation of the Torah set out by God through Moses. They
believed that in the keeping of Torah, they would begin to fulfil their
calling as true humanity, reflecting the image of Yahweh on the earth.
Out of their zeal for the keeping of God's commandments, they set out a
whole bunch of other rules and corollaries that determined what was the
ideal and appropriate lifestyle of a human being, pleasing God.

In Isaiah, we seem the same zeal for the ideal human being, except
framed in very different terms. Whilst with the Pharisees, we saw this
zeal expressed through the observation of the Law; with Isaiah, it
would seem that the "Spirit of the Lord" is the key factor in a truly
human person, reflecting God's image on earth.
We see wisdom and understanding, counsel and power, knowledge and
faithfulness to God. We see perfect judgement marked with righteousness
and justice for others (particularly for the underdog who have no means
of defending or helping themselves).

Application
Like the Pharisees, I find myself often attracted to the prospect of
living my life from a list of rules; a list of formulas. Whilst I might
rail against the religious rules and regulations and cry out for
liberty and freedom of the Spirit, the truth is, left to my own
devices, I end up trying to formulate up new rules from which to live
my life- formulas for becoming the ideal human being, reflecting His
image on our planet (Worse still, I impose them on others as the means
to 'good Christians'- the ideal humanity).

What does it mean that the "son of man" is the Lord of the Sabbath?
What does it mean that the "Law" (Sabbath) doesn't sit as lord over
man, but that man presides over the law as lord?

Isaiah gives us a picture of this- instead of rules and formulas; it's
the Spirit of God that 'governs' the truly human one. And better yet,
it is he who presides with righteousness and justice.

Prayer
Father, give me the courage to live in relationship with you and with
others; and to the extent that these relationships require 'law and
order', may it be that I keep them. But help me live with the constant
awareness that each person is unique and different, to never to elevate
these rules above people, and to keep in consideration at all times
that they are the very reason why the rules exist in the first place.
Governed by your Spirit, not by formulas, would you work in me and
through me, that your people may grow up to be trees of righteousness,
the planting of Jesus; that the nations of the earth may be blessed.
Amen.