14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."
How biting and damaging is legalism. Ever been “crucified by Christians”? If so, you know how it stings! Excessively adhering to the law as a means for salvation, this religious leader was actually hindering others from the kingdom ringing true the words of Jesus stated earlier in Luke:
52 "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." Luke 11:52 (NIV)
Paul gives us insight into legalism in 1Corinthians chapter10:
23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Cor 10:23-24 (NIV)
Our goal is to do what builds Christ’s body, the church – that’s constructive. We are to be about those things which both strengthen and edify believers and seekers always taking care that we do not cause others to stumble and fall by our own poor behavior. We do not live as unto ourselves. Later in this same chapter of 1Corinthians we are told:
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Cor 10:31-33 (NIV)
The command is to love God and our neighbors. Our behavior should be for God’s glory pointing others to Christ, leading some to a new birth and others to maturity (salvation and justification - not division!). We are to follow the example of Christ, who, out of obedience to God, “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”, yet was selfless, loving, humble, winsome, and approachable. Jesus was not going to allow the religious leaders of His day to put God in a rule box of do’s and don’ts. He came to turn the world’s way of thinking upside down. While there are certainly absolutes in Scripture, sometimes God calls us to do things we perhaps would not deem a “prescribed plan” – sort of an out of the box, if you will assignment.
There is a story of a church in a fancy neighborhood, with fancy cars and fancy people and fancy lifestyles. Everybody blended if you know what I mean. A homeless man, destitute emotionally, financially and spiritually decided as a last hope to go for a visit. The church was filled as the back doors swung open and the dirty, disheveled, emotionally crippled man made his way in. There was no place to sit as he walked slowly past aisle after aisle of judgmental whispers. “What could this man be thinking,” some said; others could not believe he would have the audacity to come into their church clad in such squalor. Finding no room in the pews, he quietly makes his way down to the front of the church and sits on the floor. “How dare this man be so disrespectful”, many mused. Someone needed to act and act quickly to remove this disruption from their fancy church before their fancy clothes would be spoiled by the stench of the world. Suddenly, one of the leading elders of the church rose from his accustomed place, cane in hand. Slowly he begins to make his way down to the “intruder”. Every eye was fixed on him as he made his way down. All the people were thinking “Great! He will escort him out and that will be the end of it!” You could have heard a pin drop as they waited patiently for the old man to get to the front of the church. To their surprise, when the elder reached the point of his mission he placed his cane on the floor and lowered himself down by this needy man extending to him the right hand of brotherly love. The sermon had been preached without a word. Love had been shown and a life had been strengthened and changed – in fact, through this demonstration of love and mercy, many lives had been strengthened and changed!
We must remember that Jesus never turned the sinner away who came seeking healing but often blasted the self-righteous right off of their pompous stand.
13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matt 9:13 (NIV)
“The Pharisees did not think they were sinners (sick) so they would never have sought out the Lord (the Physician). The Pharisees always brought the proper sacrifices, but they were totally lacking in compassion toward sinners. When mercy is lacking, then religious formalities are meaningless.” Bible Knowledge Commentary
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6 (NIV)
God desires our devotion and loyalty expressed through loving mercy towards others and loving allegiance towards His commands - knowing that they are always for our good and for the good of others never to hinder or to hold us back.