Christian Gems – Past & Present: Legalism vs. Authentic Faith: A Contrast by John Meador, part 1 (Originally published in Pulpit Helps in two parts, May and June 2002. The Gospels record a number of confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees. These altercations were rooted in the conflict between their “kingdom of legalism” and the true Kingdom of God. As self-proclaimed guardians and keepers of the Law, the Pharisees wrongly believed they had a corner on the Kingdom of God. They were so presumptuous that they added 619 different commandments to the Ten Commandments. In addition, they added 358 prohibitions regarding the Law, including 39 different additions to just the Sabbath law. From the time Jesus began His earthly ministry, the Pharisees were opposed to Him. In Mark 2:7, they ask, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” In Mark 2:16 you find them criticizing Jesus for eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners. In verse 18 they ask. “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” In verse 24 the Pharisees say, “See here! Why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” In Mark 3 we find the worst of the confrontations, when Jesus comes into the synagogue again. In these verses we will discover the distinctions between the counterfeit and the genuine Kingdom of God. The story of the man with the withered hand in Mark 3:1-6 is, in reality, about legalism. The real story is the conflict between the Pharisees with their legalism and Jesus Christ with the new kingdom principles. Legalism is all about what is on the outside, while Jesus was concerned about what was on the inside. The Pharisees were about ritual; Jesus cared about relationships. You find those opposite extremes whenever you see conversations between the Pharisees and Jesus, but this is the clearest scriptural example I have found which explains what authentic Christian living is—what we are to be about. Let’s make the contrast clear. First, legalism is unmoved by Scripture and moral reasoning. At the end of chapter 2, Jesus begins to reason with the Pharisees about the Sabbath. Notice, in verse 25, He appeals to them on the basis of Scripture: “Have you never read what David did…?” Then in verse 27, He appeals to them on the basis of moral reasoning: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Consequently, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Incredibly, they were unmoved by either appeal. Legalism is always like that. These Pharisees exemplified the mindset that says, “When I get my rules all in an order, when I get my thinking all figured out, I’m not going to be moved by anything else, whether it’s Scripture or moral reasoning.” In the case of the man with the withered hand, Jesus found that they have not changed one bit as a result of His words. There’s something symptomatic of spiritual death when we are unmoved by Scripture. I’ve heard people say, “Well, I know that’s what it says, but this is what I really believe.” That’s a dangerous place to be, where you’re not even moved by the Word of God or the moral reasoning of Jesus Christ. Yet that’s where these men were. They were so set in their ways that even the Son of God could not gain a hearing. They were determined, resolute, and confident that they had all the answers. Legalism is unmoved by Scripture. John Meador is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless, Texas. (Disciple Magazine, Vol. 6, #4, 4/21/2014)
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:47:17 +0000
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