A classic stoush between Jesus and the Pharisees is recorded in Matt 12:1-14. Jesus and his disciples were hungry and keen to help anyone, anywhere any time, break free of the power of the devil; bringing life wherever they went. The Pharisees wanted to maintain a system of appearances, trying to keep people looking ‘together’, but killing faith as went. Both believed their approach honoured their father in heaven. The Pharisees were will to provoke, trap and kill to enforce theirs. They taunted – ‘this is not lawful’. Jesus cut through their protectionist, systems management thinking to bring it back to the personal level.
‘I desire mercy not sacrifice’.
At the heart of the matter is the person, a soul, created in God’s image, to ‘live’, that is to say ‘to enjoy life as given by God and the blessing of God’s creation to all fullness’. Such a system can never lift the average person to greatness; it should however always lift the broken out of harms way. Only mercy (or read ‘love’) elevates people to greatness, giver and recipient often alike.
System without mercy fail to serve anyone broken by sin. But watch out! When you attack a failed and merciless system, expect no mercy in return! Death threats may follow.
Love conquers all: ‘But the greatest of these is love.’