John 5:17. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still
working, and I am also working.”
It is easy for us to reduce our
faith into a series of rules: do this, don’t do that; when this happens, make
sure that happens too. But to see God’s plan for us as a series of rules,
static and knowable, breaks the most important rule of them all: love one
another, as Jesus loved us. Because when we love, rules are properly moderated
by the acts of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness that are Christ acting
through us.
The “them” in this verse are
the consummate rule-followers, the Pharisees, and Jesus has explained to them
why He dared to heal on the Sabbath. He healed the sick because His work and
His Father’s work was not yet done, and no human rules could stop His mercy and
forgiveness. God’s love for us sinners is alive, and defies any law that would
see it contained.
In this Lenten season, as we reflect on our sinfulness and long to be
closer to God, we know that God’s love is boundless and unconstrained by the
rules of man. Help us to not seek shelter behind the pious self-defense of
“look at me, how good am I, I’m following the rules”—nor conversely, to justify
any behavior we want with the lazy claim that the rules don’t apply to us.
Rather, may God give us the grace to act with kindness, compassion, and
forgiveness as we strive to do His work on earth.
—Jesse
& Lorraine McReynolds
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