Reference text: Luke 14:1-6
In the judicial system, the courts exist in hierarchies. This explains why the decisions of a lower court can be changed by that of a higher court, all the way to the Supreme Court. Even when verdicts of guilty are delivered from the Supreme Court, there remains such a thing as “a presidential pardon” that can override any sentence.
Jesus today posed a question to his audience that created a situation we will call in modern terms “an ethical dilemma”. The question was this: “if your son or donkey fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, would you rescue them or not?”. The reason this context is important was because the Sabbath day meant no work – hence, getting a human being or animal of value from a ditch, counted as work.
So the question being asked was ” is your love for keeping the rules greater than your love towards others? “Would you rather obey the law or simply be human? There are instances when our humanity and desire to do good overrides every knowledge of laws we know.
This is not a call to ignore rules, but to appreciate the many occasions where mercy and love simply take over, and our humanity shines through brightest. We will come across many moments where we clearly know the set rules, but I pray that in those moments that matter most, we will discern that mercy trumps judgement.
#sly
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