Our Laws Can Be Too Much

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were the leading citizens among the Jews. They knew what God’s law said, and they could tell people how to apply it. But they were hypocrites. They added their own laws on top of God’s laws, thinking that would “protect” the law of God from being disobeyed. But in doing so, they violated the spirit of the law, which is love.

Christians can do the same as the Pharisees if they add their own social standards to God’s law. “Surely a Christian would never listen to that kind of ­music, or wear those clothes, or dance, or . . .” We might think we are being especially zealous for the law of God by adding such restrictions. But God desires love, not legalistic additions to his law.

Following human standards while ignoring God’s call to love can lead to terrible results. It has led to racism: “We just followed the rules of apartheid!” It has led to sexism: “She should have known better than to wear that.” It has lead to nationalism: “We were just following our leaders’ orders.”

Such hypocrisy will condemn us on the day of judgment. Laws that do not aim at love for all people are not God’s laws. The Ruler of heaven and earth is not fooled by distorted rule-following.

Father, forgive us when we set up false standards. Forgive us if we have judged others unlovingly. Help us to love everyone as you do. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.