When Rules Need To Be Broken

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Reading: John 5:1-15

Reflection: Every major city has areas where the outcasts, homeless and down and outers tend to gather. In most cases, these places are chosen for several reasons. First, they are at the edges of society where they will not be further bothered or ridiculed. Second, there is generally a homeless center or soup kitchen close by which provides the homeless with a lifeline. Third, there is generally some kind of bridge or empty building where these folks can find shelter from the elements. It is in places like this…places on the edges of society, under bridges or in abandoned buildings, where the homeless and outcasts gather.

In our scripture reading today, Jesus walks into a similar location. He sees a man who has been trapped in this underworld for 38 years. Did you hear that? This man has been trapped in this area for 38 years. It’s easy to pass by this detail. But let me ask you just how much you would suffer over that period of times? How many times has this man hoped for help and been disappointed? How many dreams has he allowed to slip away because of his hopeless condition? How many relationships has he lost, how many hungry nights has he faced, how many whispers of ridicule has he endured? He has been there for so long that even Jesus wonders if the man wants to get better.

Upon hearing that he does, in fact, desire to be lifted out of his broken condition, Jesus speaks the word and the man rises up, takes his mat, and begins to walk. Now, it is here that the religious leaders border on insane callousness. Because the healing takes place on the Sabbath…and because they have a rule against work on the Sabbath…and because they feel that picking up a mat and walking is work…the religious leaders chastise the man. Now, do you see how heartless they are? They can’t see a man celebrating his liberation from 38 years of misery. They can’t celebrate God at work through the hands of Jesus. They aren’t moved to see the restored hope and joy to a man who had lost both. All they can see is that their rules are being broken.

What a reminder to us to remember that rules are designed to serve people rather than people to serve the rules. When we become so committed to some kind of rule that we get mad when we break the rule due to unusual circumstances or needs, we have mixed up our priorities. We are not to use people to prop up rules. Rather, we are to use rules to prop up people. And when what is best for a person is to set aside the rules, we must be willing to always put the people first. If we don’t, we might end up looking just as cold and callous as these religious leaders. And as for me, I never want to be that way.