RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
Mark 2:18 – 3:6
Sermon #4 of “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America”
This is the fourth sermon in our sermon series, “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America” from the first six chapters of Mark. Last week we looked at “Shop ‘Til You Drop” from Mark 2:13-17. We discovered that Jesus offers a better pursuit of for one than money and what it can buy … Jesus offers himself.
In coming weeks we will look at other slogans that have become embedded into the American psyche, other idioms that define us and motivate us as a people. We will look at:
• Live and Let Live - Mark 3:1-6
• You are Only Young Once - Mark 1:14-20; 3:13-19
• If You Want Something Done Right, Do It Yourself - Mark 3:13-19; 31-35
• If it Feels Good, Do It - Mark 5:1-20
• God Helps Those Who Help Themselves - Mark 5:25-34
• Stand Up For Your Rights - Mark 5:17, 6:1-6
Chapter 2
18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"
19Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
21"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."
23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
25He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Chapter 3
1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
I think, that for illustration purposes, there is another similar story in Mark’s Gospel that I should read. It is from the first 13 verses of chapter 7.
Mk 7:1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and
Mk 7:2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed.
Mk 7:3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.
Mk 7:4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. 19 )
Mk 7:5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”
Mk 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Mk 7:7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 20
Mk 7:8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”
Mk 7:9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe 21 your own traditions!
Mk 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ 22 and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 23
Mk 7:11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God),
Mk 7:12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.
Mk 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
Does this ring a bell?:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. (portions from the Declaration of Independence)
It is considered by many to almost be an “inalienable right.”
It is at the core of our heritage as Americans … it was how we were birthed.
I speak of revolution; protest; defiance.
As time has passed this “spirit of independence” has enfleshed itself in many ways – it morphs to fit the current crisis or cause.
It uses slogans and mantras to empower it.
• “Question Authority”
• “Remember the Alamo” – a Texas revolt for freedom against Mexico
• “Give me liberty or give me death”
• “Don’t tread on me”
Entire speeches have reverberated around the theme.
• Lincoln said, "To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."
• “Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world’s estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences.” (Susan B. Anthony)
• “If you will protest courageously, and yet with dignity and Christian love, when the history books are written in future generations, the historians will have to pause and say, "There lived a great people—a black people—who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization.” (M. L. King Jr. - From an address given in Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 31, 1955)
We are expressive with our protests too.
• Bra burnings
• Draft Card Burnings
• Flag burnings (we love to burn things)
• Song writing
• Refusing to go to the back of the bus
• We march!
• We create signs!
• We wear tee-shirts
• We write letters to politicians
• We vote in protest (earlier this month in fact)
• We abstain in protest (earlier this month)
• We contact the “Sound Off” in the North Country Today newspaper!!!
Ever since Thoreau wrote on “Civil disobedience” we have employed it as a tool of resistance to “tyranny.”
And it is protected by law. It is a sacred right amongst us.
If you are an American … there is indeed a little bit of “rebel” in you.
At some point you, like most Americans have probably said, or acted upon the principle that, “Rules are Made to be Broken.”
For those of us who are here today it is further ingrained by our faith. We are, after all, “PROTESTant.” In the sixteenth century we railed against the institution, we broke ranks. We removed ourselves from the assumed authority, we literally shattered the icons, defied the popes and and rallied around the creed of “sola scriptra.”
As John Wesley stated in the 18th century, "In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church." (Popery Calmly Considered (1779): The works of the Rev. John Wesley, 1812, London : Printed at the Conference - Office ... by Thomas Cordeux,)
Oh yes, the proverb, “Rules are Made to be Broken.” is indeed in our blood.
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A quick reading of our Bible passages might suggest that Jesus is himself endorsing the “rebel within” and telling us to “question authority.” But in actuality that is exactly what Jesus was railing against. The Jewish scholars had, in fact, broken rules (God’s rules) in order to create a system made in their own image. Jesus is telling them that they had no right – they had in fact violated God’s law … the only law that mattered and the only law that is eternal.
The Jews established a rigid and specific behavioral pattern for those who wished to please God. It was written in the Mishna and it contained an entire section called “Shabbath” which told what one could and could not do on the Sabbath. Thirty-nine rules were laid down in “Shabbath”. The problem is, it became the sacred law and superseded the Scriptures. Religious rules were being offered to God (and in God’s name) that actually hindered the work of the Kingdom of God.
1. WE ARE TO BE PEOPLE OF OBEDIENCE
o Obedience to God
o Without reservation
o Without exception
o Without apology
o Some dare, to their own judgment, misread verse 27. It does not give license to do whatever you want on the Sabbath. It is a day of rest, renewal, and worship. Humankind swings from petty rigidity to permissive license on Sabbath expectations. God works from a principle and there is a Divine expectation that we will “observe” (obey) that principle.
2. WE ARE TO BE PEOPLE OF LOVE
o Jesus poses the question the religious authorities would rather not face. … Are their practices salvific or destructive?
o You see, the man with the shriveled hand does not have a life threatening condition so, according the “the rules” (The Mishna’s, “Shabbath”) he was supposed to wait until after the Sabbath for treatment.
o Jesus says that this Rabbinic law (you could only save a life on the Sabbath) isn’t even the question!
o The real question is not can you save a life? But rather “Will you do good whenever possible?”
o You see, we are to be people of relationship – people in community.
• Are your religious rules in keeping with the nature of God?
• Are they life-giving?
• Do they stimulate spiritual growth in others?
• Do they enable you to meet human need?
3. WE ARE PEOPLE OF SERVICE (WORSHIP)
o Jesus suggests human need takes precedence of the ceremonial law.
o Mark suggests that not working and resting is incomplete – we are to do good on the Sabbath.
• [a] Real religion does not consist of rules and regulations.
o If Sunday observance was all there was then religion would be an easy thing
o Real religion is a life of love, forgiveness, service, mercy
• [b] The first claim of any man of faith is the claim of human need
o People not systems
o Persons not ritual
o To help humankind is to worship God
WRAP-UP
Chapter 3
1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
"Human need is a higher law than religious ritualism" (Ralph Earle).
The root of the issue with Jesus was not the rules of man … they change with time. Jesus was introducing his contemporaries to things that do not change … that are eternal and permanent.
1. The laws of God
These rules are not made to be broken … they are broken at your own demise.
2. Relationships
a. With God
b. With humankind
Jesus knew that if man’s relationships were right then fulfilling God’s law would be accomplished by default.
He who has ears to hear, Let him hear.
