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.” Luke 13.14
Jesus had broken “the rules”.
Come to think of it, Jesus often broke the rules, particularly the “rule” about
doing no work (which seemed to include God’s healing) on the Sabbath.
The synagogue ruler, like the
scribes and Pharisees and teachers of the law of the time lived to “the rules”
– their rules! They had developed a set of requirements, an extensive set, that
saw them exercise power, but which had little, if anything, to do with God’s
will. The religious leaders of the day seemed more concerned with their own
agenda than with seeking, and fulfilling, God’s will. And, even then, as Jesus
points out, they broke the rules when it suited them.
Jesus demonstrated one
inviolate “rule” in the life He led on earth – to do the Father’s will.
The whole of the Scriptures,
both Old and New Testaments, indicate that the Father can do anything. Humanity
cannot, and should not seek to reduce the Father’s will to a set of rules. The
Israelite religious leaders sought to do this and, over time, developed
hundreds of their own rules. The result was the utmost oppression of the
people.
Jesus gave two clear commands
to assist us to live in God’s will. The first was to love God with all that we
are, with every fibre of our being. The second was to love our neighbours as
ourselves. This second command infers a healthy self-respect. And so, in living
to God’s will, we are drawn into the fullness of love, love for God, our fellow
creatures, and ourselves. This is all-embracing love. No one is excluded.
Praise God!
Does living to God’s will then
mean that we throw out the rulebook? It depends whose “rules” we live to. The
mighty, supernatural ways of God contain just a few simple “rules” which all
centre on love, compassion and care. The manifold rules that humanity develops
often dilute and even extinguish love, in any shape or form. Let me then live
to God’s way. I don’t believe He will lead me in any wrong directions, although
His way may well be challenging, strange and difficult to believe or receive,
in a world that lives more nearly to its own agenda.
I am reminded of the sound of a
different drum. Let me walk to this sound.
Loving God,
Again, it seems, the question of agenda arises. Again I say quite
clearly that I set aside any agenda of my own, to fully live to Your agenda for
me.
I yearn to follow Jesus and live to fulfil Your will for every day of
my life. I am too aware of my failure in this. Even now, I struggle with issues
that would lead outside of Your will. I hand myself over to You and shout out
“Lord, have Your way, Your absolute way, in me and with me.”
May I live in Your way of love. May Your Holy Spirit lead me into a
lifestyle of adoration of You, of healthy self-respect and acceptance, and of
sincere love for all my fellow beings.
Let me truly follow Jesus. As I study His life here on earth, please draw
me closer. In the words that He spoke let me find a deeper relationship with
Him, with You.
Wonderful Saviour, Mighty Creator, God of All, I’m sold out to You.
Help me, O please help me, to resist those things that I ought. Enable me to go
forward and live, daily, in the fullness of relationship with You. Out of this
relationship may I grow in love for others. May I have opportunities to extend
Your love, and may I respond to such opportunities in ways that will gladden
Your heart.
Use me, if You will, to shine the light of Jesus in the darkest of
places. Let me bring hope to the seemingly hopeless. May I work miracles in
accord with the promises of my Saviour and Lord.
Simply, Lord, let me live to Your perfect will. Let me honour You in
who I am and what I do. I need You for this. I desperately need You. Hear my
prayer, and my urgent plea. Lead me forward, in the fullness of Your Holy Spirit,
in Jesus’ name I ask. Amen.
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