Balance

24/2/11 Numbers 14-16; Mark 3

S: Numbers 15:33-35 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” Mark 3:4-5 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

O: Breaking the Sabbath was real serious business in the Mosaic Law. But Jesus pointed out that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

A: Are there places where we have made too hard a line of adherence to some rule and forget the spirit of Christ?

The Pharisees were viewed of during Jesus’ time as the most pious people who were concerned about following God’s laws. Yet look how much Jesus spoke against them.

Jesus had the balance of mercy and morality, as illustrated with the woman caught in adultery. “Neither do I condemn you, but go and sin no more.”

P: Father, help me find the balance between morality and mercy.