Spirit of the Law

Matthew 12:9-14

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"— so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.


I read this passage today, and it really struck a chord with me; not because I had tons of deep, theological thoughts on it, but because I think this passage shows us a little nugget of Jesus' character that I can really appreciate: he's pretty crafty.

As a crime/legal drama junkie (Law & Order of all persuasions, Boston Legal, CSI in any location, Outlaw, you name it), there was another part of this passage that stuck out to me: Jesus sought to carry out the spirit of the law rather than the letter.

Reminiscent of one of my favorite Law & Order characters (ADA Jack McCoy), Jesus does not allow the letter of the law to prevent him from using any means necessary to carry out the spirit of the law. I think that may be my little take-home nugget today: don't get so hung up on doing things the right way that you don't do the right thing.

Family Ties

^{Matthew 10:37-39}

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.


This piece of scripture has always been a wake-up call for me, which I guess is a good thing, sort of. You see, I've always had a great family, and have always really loved my family. I count my wife, parents, brother, in-laws, and extended families not only as relatives, but as friends. I tell and show my wife that I love her every chance I get, I try to talk to my parents and spend time with them as often as I can, I regularly have meals and hang with my brother; you get the idea. But with all of the ways that my love for my family is evident in my life, it leaves me wondering: "Is my love for my Savior that evident?"

I think that's something that I'll continue to ponder and strive for for a long time.