RULES or PRINCIPLES?

"Since many of the people had not purified themselves, the Levites had to slaughter their Passover lamb for them, to set them apart for the Lord... 

But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, 'May the Lord, who is good, pardon those who decide to follow the Lord...even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony.' And the Lord listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people."

~ 2 Chronicles 30:17-20

What do you think about rules? Are they good or bad for society? for following Jesus? for you personally?

I would say I'm probably more rule-based than the average person. I set and mostly keep rules for myself (e.g. to tell my kids I love them whenever I speak on the phone with them), think board games are only fun when everyone knows and follows the rules, and believe having some rules creates a better-functioning society.

I like following rules I agree with (hate following the ones I disagree with, but often still do it), and I like everyone else following them (and hate it when they don't).

In other words, I probably would have made a pretty good Pharisee! They set lots of rules for themselves and others, bent over backward to keep them, expected everyone else to do the same, and were disappointed when they didn't.

Discerning how rule-based we are

Now you may be reading this and think, "Not me! I am not governed by rules in my walk with Jesus." That could be true, but let me ask you this: if you felt God wanted you to fast from everything but water for 24 hours, and if in that 24-hour period a good friend from across the country surprised you with a drop-in visit, what would you do?

Assuming you welcome them into your house, would you offer them water? Coffee or tea? Would you offer them food? If it was near dinner time would you offer to heat up some yummy leftovers from the previous day but tell them you couldn't partake?

If you would keep your fast, you may be a rule-based person.St Benedict (founder of the Benedictine monastic movement) felt differently. He said that if a person was fasting and an unexpected visitor came by, the monk was to break their fast in order to eat with them.

The priest Ahimelech felt differently. When David was fleeing Saul, Ahimelech broke the rules and gave him bread that was only lawful for priests to eat.

Hezekiah felt differently. In the above verses, he allows unclean people to eat the Passover meal, which is against the rules.

Evidently, God felt differently. He received Hezekiah's prayer and healed the people. Further, Jesus told the story of Ahimelech as an example of godly living, and then followed it up by quoting Hosea 6:6, "I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices" (even though those sacrifices are part of following the rules).

So what do we make of this?

The good and bad of Pharisees

In some ways the Pharisees get unfairly critiqued. They were one of the leading religious groups of their day, along with the Sadducees and Essenes, and many were genuine in their desire to please God. In fact, I listened to a history podcast recently that said the Pharisees were the "rebel sect" of their time who did not bow to the Romans (like the Sadducees) or run away from society (like the Essenes).

But even though there were good Pharisees (like Nicodemus), the majority failed in one respect. To quote this upcoming Sunday's EXPLORE episode of A Slow Journey through John: 

"The Pharisees took religion very seriously and went over and above in their effort to not break God’s commandments (e.g. the law says don’t take God’s name in vain, so Pharisees made sure they didn’t break it by refusing to speak his name at all).Sadly, their efforts often focused on outwardly conforming to the law, and not on loving God in their hearts. The Pharisees were so eager to not break the rules they lost sight of the purpose of the commandments."

Loving God requires more than "following the rules"

You may be a rules-based person like me, or simply more rule-based than you want to admit. There is nothing wrong with having rules and rhythms to help govern our life in general and our spiritual walk. But in our desire to obey the commands of God (and Jesus is clear that we express our love for him through obedience to his commands), let us make sure we keep the main thing the main thing.

I like to think of it this way: the commands of Jesus often focus around principles rather than specific rules. "Love one another" is a command, but it's more of a principle than a rule. How we love someone or express love may look different in different cultures.

In the early church, greeting one another with a holy kiss was a way to show welcome and love to a person (in fact, Paul commands it four times). In my culture, it's more likely to make a person feel uncomfortable and unsafe. If I want to follow Jesus' command to love, it will not include kissing the stranger who walks into my church community.

But the principle remains the same: love, welcome, be hospitable. That must be my focus.

Look for the principle within the rule

PAUSE and REFLECT: When we set up our guidelines for self and our expectations for others, we must ask, "What principle is this rule speaking to, and how can I make sure my actions are bringing out the desired outcomes?"

Consider: 

1. Are there any rules in your life—self-imposed or external—that have helped you grow in your relationship with God or others? How might those rules reflect a deeper principle or purpose?

   
   

2. How do you typically approach situations where following a rule may conflict with showing love or mercy? How might Jesus be inviting you to balance obedience to a rule with compassion?

   
   

3. When you think about your spiritual journey, are there areas where rules have become a barrier rather than a bridge to connection with God? How could focusing on the principle behind the rule help you regain that connection?

   
   

Please don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that God's commands are up for debate, or we should decide whether we want to follow them or not. It isn't an "if" question. It's a "how" question. The Pharisees had one narrow view only as to how to obey God. It looks like Jesus may have had a broader view that focused less on the rule itself, and more on the heart-effect the rule was trying to encourage. 

In the end, the desire is for any rules by which we live to soften our heart toward God and others and form the image of Christ within us.

Is this what is happening with you?

~ Nick

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