Keith Mack
Jesus was accused of breaking God's law, but did he? The gospels record several instances when Jesus broke the Sabbath law by healing people on that day. However, Jesus did not see this as breaking God's law, but rather the traditions of men that had been added on top of the Torah. Jesus denounced the religious rulers because they prioritised following the rules over caring for people. He prioritised people's needs and acts of love over the observance of law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Healing people on the Sabbath | Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, a man with a withered hand, a man born blind, a crippled woman, a man with dropsy, a demon-possessed man, a lame man |
| Not ritually washing hands before eating | |
| Eating with "sinners" | |
| Overturning the money tables at the temple | |
| Forgiving people's sins | |
| Not participating in the execution of a woman caught in adultery | |
| Declaring all foods clean |
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What You'll Learn
- Jesus broke the Sabbath law by healing people on that day
- Jesus broke the law by eating with sinners
- Jesus broke the law by overturning the money tables at the temple
- Jesus broke the law by not ritually washing his hands before eating
- Jesus broke the law by forgiving people's sins, bypassing temple sacrifices
Jesus broke the Sabbath law by healing people on that day
The Gospels record several instances of Jesus healing people on the Sabbath: Simon Peter's mother-in-law in Peter's home (Mark 1:29-31), a man with a withered hand in the synagogue (Mark 3:1-6), a man born blind in Jerusalem (John 9:1-16), a crippled woman in a synagogue (Luke 13:10-17), a man with dropsy at a Pharisee's house (Luke 14:1-6), a demon-possessed man in Capernaum (Mark 1:21-28), and a lame man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-18).
Jesus defended his actions by saying that He was working just as His Father was working. He also referred to Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5), proclaiming that He is greater than the law and has authority over the laws that govern the Sabbath day. Jesus is the One who made all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16) and instituted the Sabbath day, so He had the authority to overrule the Pharisees' traditions and regulations.
Jesus did not break the Sabbath law as outlined by God under the Old Covenant. He broke the Pharisees' laws, which had become burdensome and elevated to the level of God's instructions. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus showed God's goodness, revealed the Pharisees' hardness of heart, and gave a glimpse of the full healing from sin that would be made possible by His sacrifice on the cross.
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Jesus broke the law by eating with sinners
Jesus was having dinner at the house of Levi, a tax collector, when the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors. They asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Jesus was saying that as a doctor sought the sick for treatment, so his place was with the sinners he had come to save, despite artificial conventions. He was not saying that the Pharisees and scribes had no need of spiritual healing. Instead, he was saying that only those who know their spiritual need can be treated. The self-righteous Pharisees would not come for aid, and in their own eyes, did not need a doctor.
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Jesus broke the law by overturning the money tables at the temple
Jesus's actions were a powerful demonstration of his authority and a call to return to genuine worship. They also showed his concern for justice and his protection of the vulnerable, aligning with his broader mission to bring good news to the poor and oppressed.
Jesus's act of overturning the money tables at the temple was a direct challenge to the religious and economic authorities of his time. It was a radical statement of his values and priorities, and it ultimately contributed to the decision of the authorities to have him arrested and crucified.
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Jesus broke the law by not ritually washing his hands before eating
The practice of handwashing before meals was rooted in the fact that members of the priestly caste in traditional Judaism were required to wash their hands before attending to temple sacrifices to ensure they hadn't touched anything that made them ritually impure. Over time, this practice was extended to the general population, with the Pharisees instituting a universal commandment to wash hands before eating bread.
Jesus's non-compliance with this ritual was likely due to his belief that such rituals were marginalising and enforcing requirements on people. He prioritised "getting back to the basics with God" over strict adherence to ritualistic traditions. This is reflected in his statement, "What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them".
Jesus's actions also served to demonstrate that people mattered more than rules. By breaking the handwashing ritual, he showed that love and compassion transcend rules and that acts of mercy and justice should take precedence over strict adherence to religious laws.
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Jesus broke the law by forgiving people's sins, bypassing temple sacrifices
Jesus broke the law by forgiving people's sins and bypassing temple sacrifices.
Jesus forgave people's sins on his own authority, without reference to animal sacrifices. For example, in Mark 2:5–7, he told a paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." The scribes were shocked, asking, "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?".
Jesus was able to do this because he was demonstrating a new era, in which God had intervened in human history and made a way for all people to be one with God through him. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross also worked backward in time, so that the sins of all the saints before him were covered by his blood.
Jesus' forgiveness of people's sins was a direct challenge to the Jewish sacrificial system. Animal sacrifices were not truly effective in achieving the forgiveness of sins. Instead, they were pointing to Jesus as God's final, decisive sacrifice for sins. Jesus' sacrifice was so complete that it secured an eternal redemption, and all bloodshed could cease.
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Frequently asked questions
Jesus was accused of breaking the Sabbath law by healing people on the Sabbath day. However, Jesus argued that he was working just as his Father was working, and that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of misleading the nation, opposing paying taxes to Caesar, and saying he was the Messiah, a king. However, Pilate, who was a representative of the Roman government, declared Jesus innocent of these charges.
Jesus was also accused of breaking God's laws, but he himself said that he had kept his Father's commandments. He did, however, break the "traditions of men", or the "commandments of men", by, for example, not ritually washing his hands before eating.
