Placing Burdens On Others
Luke 14 (NIV)
14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
Jesus healed a man. Yet, before he did so he asked a question. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” In doing so, he uncovered the cowardice of the Pharisees and experts of the law. They taught it was wrong to heal on the Sabbath. It was their interpretation and one which they normally held. However, here was a graphic image of suffering in the man with “abnormal swelling of his body.”
These judges of Israel were cowards because they feared the people who were watching. In their normal places of pontification they were comfortable in talking in the abstract. However, in real life they did not have the courage to stand by their teachings.
It is this kind of hypocrisy which always condemns us. We should be on watch that we understand what we teach. We should be careful that we keep what we teach. If we cannot keep it perhaps what we teach is misconstrued, misguided or deliberate error which we are using to maintain a status of superiority.
It is not uncommon for leaders whether religious teachers, parents, administrators, politicians, or others to put burdens on others and not be prepared to suffer the consequences for what they impose.
What did Jesus do?
So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say.
“Lord, help us keep our hearts pure, wise, God honoring and impartial in what we teach. Amen”