Part 57. Guidance and control. Principles and rules. (5)

The twin tyrannies of literalism and legalism continue to haunt our understanding of and acting on the dynamic principles of Christian faith as stated by Jesus in the two great commandments. Two simple yet profound principles urging us to take action: to love God and to follow him in the pursuit of justice. The synoptic gospels contain numerous examples of Jesus tackling  literalism and legalism as well as their purveyors. It serves us well to consider how Jesus challenged the gatekeepers of his time and in so doing equip us to counter present day proponents of literal interpretation and narrow legalism.

In Matthew 5 there is a phrase used as a formula to contrast a rule and  the interpretation placed on it by Jesus:

You have heard that it was said......But I tell you.

In each case Jesus develops a broad principle out of a narrow rule.

Matthew 23 and Luke 11 expound the views of Jesus on the attitudes and behaviour of the Pharisees and the experts in the law. It is an exposition of all that Jesus considered to be wrong with the law and its interpreters and practitioners. It is unremittingly harsh. Two examples:

Woe to you Pharisees,  because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practised the latter without leaving the former undone. Luke 11:42

Justice and the love of God: the two great commandments. A move from rules to principles.

You experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not Lift one finger to help them.  Luke 11:46

Jesus freed us from the burden of the law by  fulfilling it in the two great commandments. The restrictive narrow rules are swept away on the wave of dynamic enabling principles.

A further illustration.  In Mark 3 we read of a man with a shrivelled hand who was healed by Jesus on the Sabbath contrary to the law.  Jesus said: 

Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?

Jesus challenged the religious leaders of his time. He challenges us to do likewise,  to confront those who would seek to deny and exclude individuals from Christian communities by hiding behind doctrine or legalistic, literal interpretation of scripture.