Luke chapter 13 verses 14 – 16 (NIV)
Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
Deuteronomy chapter 14 verses 23-27 (NIV)
Eat the tithe of your corn, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.
What struck me about both the Old Testament reading and the New Testament reading for today was the fact that God gave the law for the people to live by as an example of their reliance on Him but He didn’t intend for them to get into bondage over how to keep and interpret the law. We see in the verses in Deuteronomy that although, rightly the people were to honour God with their first fruits, God made a way for them to do so practically in the event that the people didn’t live close to God’s chosen place of worship. But we see how in the New Testament people had become too caught up in interpreting the letter of the law that they had forgotten that there were intended to be an example of God’s grace and mercy to other nations. We too must never forget that God’s grace and mercy has been afforded to us and we are expected to show that grace and mercy to others, particularly to those who may be unfamiliar with God’s Word and yet are seeking to know the truth. We need to be wise as to how to teach and encourage them, and although we must teach them the truth, we must be careful not to lose sight of how Jesus conducted Himself and do the same.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that You intend for us not to be bound by the law but to live under the grace that we have found in Christ. Help us to do that and show that grace to others too. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.