“God’s Grace, Mercy And Compassion Is Your Healing!”

“God’s Grace, Mercy And Compassion Is Your Healing!”
Some weeks ago I was opportuned to preach at the wake service of His Majesty the late Major-General James Tataw at Quartier Generale, in the midst of the rank and file of the military. I reminded them of how we know for sure that in the military the law of obedience is inscribed in the hearts of new conscripts from day one.
However, since Nuremberg, the moral question arose that a soldier cannot simply say “I was merely following orders” if such orders are considered morally wrong.
Laws are made to regulate society and check offenses, but when the law acts against the good of man, then the law itself becomes offfensive!
When the spirit of a law is misconstrued, it endangers rather than helps. The Sabbath was instituted as a day of absolute rest from work. This means it was intended to serve the well-being of workers. The Sabbath was about the care of souls. How come then that it became a problem for Pharisees and experts of the law to always keep close watch to see what Jesus will do on the Sabbath?
The interesting part is that Pharisees always invited Jesus to their homes for meals. No doubt that even though they opposed him, they revered him and respected his teachings. Their only problem was that his revolutionized teachings was a threat to their comfort zones!
On one occasion when he was invited by “a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.” Right there was a man suffering from dropsy. “Jesus asked the Pharisees and the experts in the law, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?’ But they remained silent.” Jesus healed the man and sent him home. Jesus sought to know if a son or ox belonging to one of them fell into a well on a Sabbath the one would “not immediately pull it out? And they had nothing to say”(Lk.14:1-6).
If there is one big lesson from Jesus each time he had a confrontation with the Pharisees and experts of the law, it is that their emphasis on legality distorted the spirit of the law of the Sabbath! A Sabbath day of rest was for good health just as much as healing on the Sabbath was to restore health!
As it was then, as it is now, there are many experts in the law who like their counterpart of old will “remain silent” and have “nothing to say” in response to Jesus’ questions! But as for you my friend, bring your troubles and sickness to Jesus any day, any time and he will heal you!
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ teach me to exalt grace and mercy above legality. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!