Comments on: An Ox on the Sabbath http://CafeInspirado.com/194 thoughts on living la vida inspirada ... the inspired life Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:15:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Steve Schmidt http://CafeInspirado.com/194/comment-page-1#comment-134 Steve Schmidt Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:38:17 +0000 http://cafeinspirado.com/?p=194#comment-134 Patrick, you're a goofball. :) Pat, You're right that love is powerful force; it is the motivating factor (I believe) for everything that God does. Of course, as that brother would point out, love is not blind, it is not ignorant of law-breaking. Love does cover over a multitude of sin, but ... there was a price to pay for that. What I probably should have explored more in the post is that there is a hierarchy of Law that God honors, and that's what Jesus was saying. The law of love (in the ox's case, love in the form of compassion) "overrides" all the other laws because it fulfills them, it completes their purpose. All biblical laws are built on the foundation of love -- loving God, loving neighbor. As a contemporary of Jesus, Rabbi Hillel, once said, "all the rest is commentary". So it's not that we become a law-breaker by breaking the Sabbath under those conditions, we actually uphold the law in its fullest, most pure sense. Jesus' actions demonstrate this. He forgave the adulterous woman and sent her away free, though the law required she be stoned. He healed, and prepared food on the Sabbath, which the law forbade. And he proved his actions lawful by citing David eating forbidden bread, and priests sacrificing and doing circumcision (working) on the Sabbath, etc., pointing us back to the very heart of the Law. Otherwise, by breaking the Law he would have been a sinner, and we know that he was sinless. Alot of Christians do kinda what you mentioned: just pray that God do something while we wait and do nothing. But I think God EXPECTS us to do something. He gave us stewardship of this planet, he placed US in charge and gave US responsibility. When he put Adam in the Garden, he told HIM to tend and care for it (Gen 2:15). So us ignoring the ox on the Sabbath would probably fall under the same category that James warns us about: "If one of you says [to a brother without clothes or food], 'Go, I wish you well; be blessed, keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15). Apparently, we are not only commanded to love, we are expected to act that love out. And sometimes that "looks like" we're actually breaking the Law. Patrick, you’re a goofball. :)

Pat,
You’re right that love is powerful force; it is the motivating factor (I believe) for everything that God does. Of course, as that brother would point out, love is not blind, it is not ignorant of law-breaking. Love does cover over a multitude of sin, but … there was a price to pay for that.

What I probably should have explored more in the post is that there is a hierarchy of Law that God honors, and that’s what Jesus was saying. The law of love (in the ox’s case, love in the form of compassion) “overrides” all the other laws because it fulfills them, it completes their purpose. All biblical laws are built on the foundation of love — loving God, loving neighbor. As a contemporary of Jesus, Rabbi Hillel, once said, “all the rest is commentary”. So it’s not that we become a law-breaker by breaking the Sabbath under those conditions, we actually uphold the law in its fullest, most pure sense.

Jesus’ actions demonstrate this. He forgave the adulterous woman and sent her away free, though the law required she be stoned. He healed, and prepared food on the Sabbath, which the law forbade. And he proved his actions lawful by citing David eating forbidden bread, and priests sacrificing and doing circumcision (working) on the Sabbath, etc., pointing us back to the very heart of the Law. Otherwise, by breaking the Law he would have been a sinner, and we know that he was sinless.

Alot of Christians do kinda what you mentioned: just pray that God do something while we wait and do nothing. But I think God EXPECTS us to do something. He gave us stewardship of this planet, he placed US in charge and gave US responsibility. When he put Adam in the Garden, he told HIM to tend and care for it (Gen 2:15). So us ignoring the ox on the Sabbath would probably fall under the same category that James warns us about: “If one of you says [to a brother without clothes or food], ‘Go, I wish you well; be blessed, keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15).

Apparently, we are not only commanded to love, we are expected to act that love out. And sometimes that “looks like” we’re actually breaking the Law.

]]> By: Pat http://CafeInspirado.com/194/comment-page-1#comment-133 Pat Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:35:57 +0000 http://cafeinspirado.com/?p=194#comment-133 I hope that the brother with whom you are debating saw your article. Seeing in writing that you love him may cause him to take a closer look at his stand. Not that he knowingly would differ with you on purpose, but I think that knowing one is loved somehow softens one's intellectual ideas and gives them more room to reconsider their argument. Love is a very powerful weapon! Just thought I'd interject that. As to your thought that compassion for the ox supercedes obeying the law, well.....couldn't someone possibly say, that if one truly believed the law was right and just, and that God was 100% behind it, couldn't one go a step further, and simply pray that God would keep the animal from suffering and harm until the next day? (Just a thought!) I hope that the brother with whom you are debating saw your article. Seeing in writing that you love him may cause him to take a closer look at his stand. Not that he knowingly would differ with you on purpose, but I think that knowing one is loved somehow softens one’s intellectual ideas and gives them more room to reconsider their argument. Love is a very powerful weapon! Just thought I’d interject that.
As to your thought that compassion for the ox supercedes obeying the law, well…..couldn’t someone possibly say, that if one truly believed the law was right and just, and that God was 100% behind it, couldn’t one go a step further, and simply pray that God would keep the animal from suffering and harm until the next day? (Just a thought!)

]]> By: Steve Schmidt http://CafeInspirado.com/194/comment-page-1#comment-137 Steve Schmidt Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:46:36 +0000 http://cafeinspirado.com/?p=194#comment-137 Kurt, that's an interesting perspective I never considered before -- and people sure take that attitude sometimes: "you wronged me, so I'm (automatically) on the right side of justice. And that entitles me to extract my own justice on you ...." Hmmm. Food for thought. [via Facebook] Kurt, that’s an interesting perspective I never considered before — and people sure take that attitude sometimes: “you wronged me, so I’m (automatically) on the right side of justice. And that entitles me to extract my own justice on you ….” Hmmm. Food for thought.

[via Facebook]

]]> By: Kurt J http://CafeInspirado.com/194/comment-page-1#comment-136 Kurt J Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:48:57 +0000 http://cafeinspirado.com/?p=194#comment-136 I'm not sure people understand what Jesus is saying here. Peter is implying like so many do that because he is wronged by another that is automatically in a position of righteousness. Implying that in such a position he may righteously Judge his offender. I think what Jesus is trying to say here is that being wronged does not inherently place anyone in a position of righteousness and no matter how many times one is wronged you can not be justified by the wrongdoing of another. So your willingness to forgive should reflect this humble position rather than the prideful one of thinking yourself better than someone else because you are the victim. [via Facebook] I’m not sure people understand what Jesus is saying here. Peter is implying like so many do that because he is wronged by another that is automatically in a position of righteousness. Implying that in such a position he may righteously Judge his offender. I think what Jesus is trying to say here is that being wronged does not inherently place anyone in a position of righteousness and no matter how many times one is wronged you can not be justified by the wrongdoing of another. So your willingness to forgive should reflect this humble position rather than the prideful one of thinking yourself better than someone else because you are the victim.

[via Facebook]

]]> By: Marilyn S http://CafeInspirado.com/194/comment-page-1#comment-135 Marilyn S Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:32:28 +0000 http://cafeinspirado.com/?p=194#comment-135 Agreeable disagreement among Christians, brothers at that! Can you mass distribute this to church as a whole?! Seriously though, great post, refreshing. [via Facebook] Agreeable disagreement among Christians, brothers at that! Can you mass distribute this to church as a whole?! Seriously though, great post, refreshing.

[via Facebook]

]]> By: Patrick http://CafeInspirado.com/194/comment-page-1#comment-132 Patrick Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:35:31 +0000 http://cafeinspirado.com/?p=194#comment-132 Cute ox Cute ox

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