There is a story in the Gospels of Jesus and His disciples walking through the grain fields on a Sabbath day when they begin picking the heads of grain for a healthy, all natural snack. This immediately draws the attention, as well as the ire, of the religious crowd. The Pharisees, the religious leaders of that day, were “keepers” of the Sabbath. This is not a bad thing. God, of course, had established the Sabbath a long time ago as part of the “Ten Commandments.” No work was to be done on this day. It was a day of rest and remembrance.
But they were not content to just be “keepers” of the Sabbath. They took it one step further and became the self-appointed “guardians” of the Sabbath. It became their job or responsibility (so they thought) to make sure everyone else kept the Sabbath also. They created stringent laws on how to keep the Sabbath. It became a litmus test on who loved God and who didn’t. Those who broke such laws were outcast and condemned. They showed more mercy toward animals on the Sabbath than people who were in need which was the greatest evidence that this was misplaced zeal.
So here comes Jesus and His disciples breaking the Sabbath by picking grain and the “guardians” are ready to pounce. Jesus answers their accusations with a statement, “I am Lord of the Sabbath.” He’s saying, “I made the Sabbath, I’m above the Sabbath, I made it for man, not for men to be a slave to it.” I imagine their mouths fell wide open. “Lord” trumps “guardian” every time. And, if they had accepted His claim as Lord, they would have relinquished their role as “guardians” and would have become “followers.” Instead they began to plot against Jesus.
I think that we, as Christians, are in danger of falling into this same religious trap of being “guardians” rather than “followers.” I don’t think you can be both. When we see ourselves as “guardians” of the Christian religion we usually stop practicing the things that distinguish us as “followers” of Christ, that is, faith expressing itself through love. When you are a guardian, everything becomes a threat and people become enemies. He is Lord. We are not. He did not establish a religion for us to protect but a faith to be practiced. Faith cannot be imposed or legislated. It must be modeled and demonstrated. If we don’t realize this, we may find ourselves undermining the Gospel rather than advancing it.
