Christ And The Law: When To Break It?

Jesus was accused of breaking the laws concerning the Sabbath on multiple occasions, but he did not break an Old Testament command. He violated the interpretations that religious leaders had developed around the biblical commands of keeping the Sabbath day holy. Jesus did not break the Sabbath, as outlined by God under the Old Covenant. Instead, he proclaimed that he was greater than the law and had authority over the Sabbath day. Jesus is our advocate, and he pleads our case with the Righteous Judge.

Jesus' actions against the Pharisees' Sabbath laws

Jesus's actions against the Pharisees' Sabbath laws were underpinned by his belief that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. He emphasised the compassionate nature of the Sabbath, encouraging acts of healing and mercy on the holy day.

Jesus challenged the Pharisees' Sabbath rules, denouncing their excessive regulations. He criticised the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, arguing that they burdened the people with heavy regulations while neglecting the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faith. He demonstrated the true spirit of Sabbath observance by performing acts of kindness and liberation on the Sabbath, challenging the Pharisees' narrow interpretation of the Law.

Jesus and his disciples were accused of breaking Sabbath laws on multiple occasions. For example, in Matthew 12:1–8, the Pharisees objected to the disciples of Jesus plucking and eating heads of grain as they walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. According to the Pharisees' oral tradition, plucking the heads of grain and eating them was work—a violation of the Sabbath.

Jesus responded to this accusation by referring to an Old Testament text that paralleled the situation: David, when he was hungry, entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat. Jesus also pointed to the priests in the temple, who worked on the Sabbath and were innocent. He argued that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, and that God desired compassion over sacrifice.

In another instance, Jesus entered a synagogue on the Sabbath, where there was a man with a withered hand. Knowing that Jesus was about to heal the man, the Pharisees asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Jesus responded by asking if they would not help a sheep that had fallen into a pit on the Sabbath. He argued that if it was lawful to relieve the misery of a sheep on the Sabbath, how much more lawful was it to relieve the misery of a fellow human being, who was more valuable than a sheep?

Jesus's actions and teachings exposed the legalism of the Pharisees and emphasised the true essence of the Sabbath as a gift from God for the benefit of humanity. He prioritised love and relationship over legalistic rules, emphasising that the Sabbath should be a time of rest, rejuvenation, and worship, rather than a burden of excessive regulations.

Jesus' teachings on the law of love

Jesus's teachings on the law of love are deeply rooted in his interpretation of Jewish law and his belief in God's love.

Jesus is believed to have broken traditional Jewish interpretations of religious laws, particularly those concerning the Sabbath. However, he did not violate the Old Testament commands but rather the interpretations developed by religious leaders. Jesus's actions and teachings challenged the established religious and social norms of his time, and he became a source of controversy among the Jewish leaders, who accused him of being a lawbreaker.

Jesus emphasised the importance of love and its connection to keeping the law. He taught that loving God and others was the ultimate commandment and the foundation of the law. In John 14:15, he states that there is no love for him without keeping the law, and in John 14:21, he connects communion with God to keeping his commandments. According to Jesus, when we keep his commandments, we love him, and when we love him, the Father loves us.

Jesus summarised God's moral law with the commandment: "Love one another, even as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This commandment builds upon the Ten Commandments and reflects God's holy nature, which requires structured and particularised love. Jesus's teachings on the law of love emphasise the importance of love as the foundation of our actions and our relationship with God and others.

Jesus's teachings also extend to civil disobedience and the relationship between religious law and government authority. While he taught that governments have a role to play in maintaining order and securing justice, he also recognised that governments are fallible and capable of making mistakes. Christians are called to embrace a "higher law tradition", urging nations to live up to a higher moral standard. Jesus himself became an example of civil disobedience by challenging the established religious and political authorities of his time, ultimately leading to his execution as a rebel.

Jesus' fulfilment of the law

The question of whether Jesus broke the law is a complex one. While he was judged as a lawbreaker by religious leaders and sentenced to death by governmental leaders, there is no evidence that he broke any religious or civil laws during his life.

Jesus was accused of breaking laws concerning the Sabbath on multiple occasions, but he did not break an Old Testament command. Instead, he violated the interpretations that religious leaders had developed around the biblical commands of keeping the Sabbath day holy.

Jesus himself stated in the Sermon on the Mount, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). This statement indicates that Jesus did not come to destroy or annul the Law but to uphold it and give it its full meaning. He emphasised the deep underlying principles of the Law and the need for total commitment rather than mere external acknowledgment and obedience.

Jesus was the first obedient human and the faithful Israelite who fulfilled the law yet bore the curse of humanity's punishment so that others could have life and the status of covenant righteousness. By his death on the cross, he abolished every barrier between man and God and between man and his fellow man. The greatest barrier between Jew and Gentile was the ceremonial law, which included the feasts, sacrifices, offerings, and laws of cleanliness and purification. These ceremonial laws, which distinguished and separated Jews from Gentiles, were obliterated by Jesus's death.

Jesus summarised God's moral law with the commandment, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This commandment of love is the essence of God's moral law, which is summarised in the Ten Commandments.

In conclusion, Jesus did not advocate breaking the law. Instead, he emphasised the importance of fulfilling the Law and upholding its underlying principles of love and commitment. Through his life, death, and resurrection, he fulfilled the Law and created a new covenant between God and humanity.

Jesus' teachings on paying taxes to Caesar

Jesus's teachings on paying taxes to Caesar are recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is written that the Pharisees, along with the Herodians, approached Jesus with a question: "Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar, or not?". The Pharisees were a Jewish religious-political movement, while the Herodians supported the Roman leader King Herod Antipas. The two groups were opposed to each other and had very different beliefs about the role of Rome in Israel. The Pharisees were attempting to trap Jesus, hoping to find a reason to have him put to death.

Jesus, aware of their intentions, asked them to show him the coin used for paying the tax. They brought him a denarius, which had Caesar's image and inscription on it. Jesus then delivered his famous response: "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's". In other words, he instructed his followers to pay taxes to the civil government (represented by Caesar) and tithes to God.

Jesus's response cleverly avoided the trap set by the Pharisees and Herodians. By telling his followers to give Caesar what belongs to him, Jesus acknowledged the need to pay taxes to the civil authorities. At the same time, he also emphasised that ultimately, everything belongs to God, and our lives are given to God. This response highlighted the distinction between paying taxes to the government and worshipping God, addressing the concerns of both the Pharisees and the Herodians.

Jesus's teachings on paying taxes to Caesar continue to be relevant today. While the specific contexts and taxes may have changed, his instructions about the appropriate place of wealth in our lives remain important. Jesus taught that we cannot serve both God and money, and that we should not worry excessively about material possessions. Instead, we should prioritise serving God and loving our neighbours.

Jesus' teachings on the law of mercy

Jesus's teachings on the law of mercy are a central tenet of Christianity. Mercy is defined as the "compassionate treatment of a person greater than what is deserved".

Jesus's teachings on mercy are closely linked to his views on justice and revenge. In the Gospel reading for the seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus suggests that "lex talionis", or "an eye for an eye", is no longer morally sufficient. He says:

> You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.

Jesus is saying that when someone harms us, we do not have the right to harm them back. Instead, we owe the perpetrator love and mercy, not further violence.

Jesus's teachings on mercy are a radical departure from the Old Testament's focus on retribution and vengeance. While the Old Testament's "lex talionis" was a step in the right direction for humanity, curbing our tendency towards vengeance, Jesus's teachings are a giant leap toward the infinite love and mercy of God.

Jesus's death on the Cross is a powerful symbol of his teachings on mercy. Through his selfless act, Jesus won us the grace we need to act mercifully towards others.

Jesus taught that we should strive to rid our lives of arrogance, pride, and conceit, and instead be compassionate, respectful, forgiving, gentle, and patient, even when we are aware of others' shortcomings.

Jesus's ultimate message is that we should follow God's law first and foremost—to love God above all else, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. This is the true test of our love for God, and our love for our neighbours is the test of whether we love our enemies.

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