THE LETTER KILLS

REFERENCE TEXT: Mark 12:18-27

This hypothetical scenario raised by the  Sadducees seeking to entrap Jesus gts my attention every single time I read. It tells the story of seven brothers who married the same woman subsequently, each with goal of bringing forth offspring for the previous brother who died without any. Reading it again today, this was the message “The letter kills”.

This did not make sense in the first instance but then I recalled that the only reason this scenario ever materialized was because the brothers were following the words as captured in the law “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother (Mark 12:19)

Even though every nation has a constitution, it’s application to legal matters is subject to judicial interpretation of the written law. So it is ‘that letter of the law’, which accounts for most decisions, not the letter. Plain legalism, is what is implicated in the death of all seven brothers because none of them dared to challenge that law passed down.

Saint Paul rendered it in this manner “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3:6). There is a reason the new covenant, written with the Spirit came in place of the law.  Like the brothers, we can very easily get caught in the trap of legalism and the letter of the law. However, the truth is we don’t stand a chance of survival in that way because no man has the capacity to keep all the requirements of the law.

That is why Grace and peace came by Christ, and with him “the Spirit of the law”.

#sly