Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.
Because legalism is not conducive to intimacy, those who insist on the letter of the law instead of the life in the Spirit, are prone to pettiness, arrogance, bitterness, anger, and even hatred. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! What a contrast.
Is it any wonder that now that the Law has been fulfilled in Jesus, He insists that we turn from the Law and toward relationship with Him; toward intimacy with God through the Holy Spirit; toward obedience to the promptings and leading of the Spirit? We must leave legalism in favor of relationship because pettiness, arrogance, bitterness and anger are not becoming His Church. The Law did not and could not accomplish what mercy and grace did on the cross.
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