Common Sense Laws

I like having a day to rest.

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. - Luke 13:10-17

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus sounds like he is saying there is no day of rest.  If someone is suffering and needs help, we should give it, regardless of the day or the law.

 What Jesus points out, though not in a kind way, is that the law may sometimes miss the point.  The commandment that we should have a day of rest should not mean we let people suffer if they are in pain, or in need of help.

We have found creative ways to work around the law to make sure we feed ourselves and our families, so why not fill other needs as well?

If we can trust one another to use common sense, we might not need as many laws.  But we don't trust one another, and so we pile law upon law in an effort to clarify, like the ancient leaders did regarding the Sabbath.

If someone falls and breaks an ankle on the Sabbath, do they not go to the emergency room looking for help?  If everyone followed the strict laws of the Sabbath, who would be there to help that person?

Some laws survive because not everyone follows them.  I think that is Jesus' point.  If you are justified in breaking the law for one reason, what is the point of the law?

We are in a time when people are taking risks in going back to work.  We all know the virus can come back and spread if we don't take precautions, and you would think that since we all suffered through months of lockdown, we would want to follow a few simple rules to stay safe.

But some don't.

So, I guess common sense isn't enough.

More to come...