So here’s what. I don’t like rules. Never have. I often find them limiting and even suffocating. I also come from an antiestablishment breed. But at the same time, without, we perish. We have chaos and anarchy. I’m not a big fan of that either. So… quick story:
In one of my theatrical directing classes in college, we had to tell a story of some kind with no dialogue. The point being that it was required to stage the story in a way that people could follow it without dialogue. There was a lot more to it, but the feedback I got from prof after was asking me a question. He said, “that was great, but you went outside of the bounds of the assignment, do you know how?” I said, “no.” Then he said (a little arrogantly, by the way), “I thought so”. He then said, “what you did was great, and it worked really well, but you broke the rules and you don’t even know where. You won’t always be so lucky.” And then he went on to say something that has stuck with me these 29 years since he said it: “You can’t work without the rules until you learn to work within them.”
Where is all this going? Well, I’ll just say this: Jesus has that sentiment mastered, and we’ll take a look at just that. -Pastor Paul
BONUS:
SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:1-11 (NRSVUE)
6 One Sabbat] while Jesus was going through some grain fields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 How he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?” 5 Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
6 On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. 7 The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see whether he would cure on the Sabbath, so that they might find grounds to bring an accusation against him. 8 But he knew what they were thinking, and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand in the middle.” He got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and began discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.