Human beings like rules. You may not feel that way. Certainly there are times when rules chafe. And, of course, we are seldom successful in following all of the rules that surround us. However, we do have a tendency to like black and white more than gray. We see that in toddlers (and old children) as they push boundaries trying to learn where the real boundaries are. I see it at work in a desire to create a specific rule to prevent future problems whenever someone behaves inappropriately or unprofessionally. In many cases, we’re making specific rules to make a general principle more concrete and specific.

The tendency to create more specific rules is certainly seen in the behavior of certain groups of ancient Jews. God said, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” Exodus 20:7a (ESV). They responded by creating rules about not saying or writing the name of God at all, in order to ensure that it couldn’t be taken in vain. God said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work” Exodus 20:8-10a (ESV). They responded by defining many different kinds of work and determining how much activity of each kind counted as work. They defined exactly how far one could go from a residence on the Sabbath. They also defined what could be counted as a residence and used that to get around the distance that could be traveled. We see use of rules that go beyond the overarching principle and rules that are used to circumvent the intent of the overarching principle.

So how did Jesus react to all of this? In relation to the Sabbath rules, he made Pharisees very angry by healing on the Sabbath in clear violation of their rules. He also defended his disciples for doing (rather minimal) work to obtain food on a Sabbath, and said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” Mark 2:27b. In general, he was very unimpressed, sometimes deeply angered, by the Pharisees, their rules, and the way they used the rules to do wrong rather than right.

But didn’t God give the ten commandments? Absolutely, those and more. But, you see, even though he gave us laws to help us understand right from wrong, God has always cared about relationship. We should remember that before the laws came God’s relationship with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph, and Moses. The greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” Matthew 22:37 (ESV). “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 22:39 (ESV). These are about relationship. Actions are intended to come out of the relationship.

Rules can be useful things, but what rules have we created that become painful religiosity beyond anything God intended? And what rules have we created that we use to circumvent the intent of God’s commands? I would encourage myself and all of you to commit each day to our relationship with Christ and to the two greatest commandments and be willing to live in a world that may feel a little more gray, but refuses to lose sight of the Spirit behind the Law.