Lawbreakers!

“These people are in the country illegally!”

If a law is unjust, then working to overturn, protesting or even breaking that law is really the only moral choice one has. 

In this week’s Bible reading from Luke 13:10-17, Jesus noticed a woman who was unable to stand up straight for 18 years. While knowing the rules of conduct for what was allowed and not allowed on the Sabbath, Jesus healed the woman. What he did was against the detailed rule structure – the laws relating to the Sabbath.

Jesus was a lawbreaker!

Shouldn’t that be the end of it – no more debate about anything else related – Jesus broke the law and that was wrong, right?

Wrong.

It’s more complicated than that, isn’t it?

Jesus showed that strict adherence to the law while ignoring God’s two most important rules  (Love God!  Love Everyone!) makes the law something that harms rather than helps.

Today we have issues that bring out similar responses. Two of them are immigration and marriage equality.

With Jesus’ lawbreaking in mind, I pose these questions:

• Is drawing a connection between today’s issues and Jesus’ response taking the Bible reading out of context?
• Is drawing a connection between today’s issues and Jesus’ response taking the Bible reading in the direction that was intended?
• How would Jesus respond?