"Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone." 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. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus." Mark 3:1-6
Again, this is part of the Bible I read and just say...this is ridiculous. "Don't work on the sabbath". So you can't heal a crippled man?? Why would anyone be that legalistic? Why would anyone be so focused on the rules? This seems proposterous right? What evil person would do that?
But then I think, how many times have I done that? How many times do I get so focused on all of the rules, that I forget to love? I forget to put all of what I read in scripture into practice.
We look at the pharisees and think how stupid and selfish and legalistic they are. But it's different whenever we think of it in perspective of our own lives.
Romans 13:8-10 says: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
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