love > rules

 Today in the One Year Bible we read these verses:

Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46
Luke 5:29-6:11
Psalm 66:1-20
Proverbs 11:24-26

In Luke, we see several stories where the religious leaders have lost sight of what rules are for. They think rules are to be kept no matter what, even if it means hurting people. They keep trying to catch Jesus breaking the religious rules of their time by helping people. 

Now, it's important to have rules. Without them, it's impossible to have a society. Rules allow us to work together and flourish without just fighting about everything all the time. But knowing WHY the rules exist allows us to know when it's OK to break them.

Healing a man on a day when "work isn't permitted" is an example of knowing why the rule exists and knowing when it's OK to break it. Love doesn't mean we just go around breaking whatever rules we want. We can't kill people who insult someone we love. We can't steal nice things to give them to people we love. But we CAN understand why rules exist and when we're acting in love, rise above those rules while respecting their intent.

God, thanks for teaching us to value people over rules - while understanding why the rules exist.