Legalism

Legalism

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 
He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?  
He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.  
Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?  
I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.  
If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.  
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 
Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,  and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 
He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?  
How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 
Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.  
But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.” 
Matthew 12:1-14

Here Jesus states the “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” referring to himself. But more importantly here is what the teachers of the law are doing. They took the fact the Jesus and his disciples were picking small amounts of wheat as they were going through the field. Probably rubbing it in their hands to remove the chaff and eating it.
The teachers of the law seen this as them harvesting the wheat thrashing it and consuming it. Work forbidden on the Sabbath.
They also looked on the fact the Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath as work.
They were very legalistic.
I know of some orthodox Jewish sects that are very careful what they do on the Sabbath. Some even consider hairs that are brought out by a brush when brushing your hair as harvesting.
This is an example of extremes. It happens in churches also.
There are groups that insist on meeting on the Saturday, the Sabbath. There are others that have very elaborate rituals that must be followed.
Even in the so called evangelical world there are things that people do that are very legalistic.
Jesus doesn’t want us to be so strict, so legalistic that we miss what God had intended for us.
Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath. Something frowned on by the teachers of the law. Yet he was doing good.
God is a God of the individual. While he does set certain laws rules by which he wants us to live by. He understands and want to meet the needs of the individual.
If that means healing on the Sabbath that’s fine as long as it is good that is being done and God getting the glory.
God want’s us to have a personal relationship with Him. That’s why the bible makes it clear that every individual can come to Him directly in prayer without the need of a priest or pastor.
That we can confess our sins directly to him and we can conduct our praises to Him.
We are even encouraged to ask Him directly for things no matter what it is. Always remembering that at times he says no. And that we should be asking in accordance with His will.
Take a look at the way you worship and seek God. Do you have unnecessary ritual in you life or in your church?
Think about it.