Technicalities

Our society is run on systems of laws and rules.  These come into play because there is a general principle that most people believe in.  Whether we are talking about sporting events or the common good, the trick comes when we have to define exactly what the standard is.  Take football for example, someone throws the ball, someone catches the ball.  Easy.

But what does it mean to catch the ball?  Well, you need to be on the field.  And what does that mean exactly?  Well both feet have to be on the field.  It's ok if your momentum carries you out of bounds afterwards, but when you actually catch the ball, both feet need to be on the field.  So they have got to a point where receivers practice dragging their toes along the grass as they reach for the ball and high def cameras are recording the rising of dust.  The question really isn't whether or not he caught the ball.  The question is if it should technically count as catching the ball.

So if there is a system of rules, then there are those things that are within the rules and those things that are outside and some things that are right on the edge.  I don't know how common it is in real life (I guess that it's not too common) but on TV it seems like the police are constantly performing illegal searches which result in evidence being disqualified.  It creates drama on the show because now we all know that they are guilty, but they may get found not guilty because of a technicality.

I think that it can work the other way too.  I have heard stories where evidence emerges that proves someone has been wrongly convicted of a crime, and yet they sit in jail because technicalities in the law forbid this new evidence being considered after a certain point in the process.  

Like most people, 90% of what I know about the legal system comes from watching TV, which means I really know nothing.  But it still goes along with my greater point.  Rules are good, but if we get too hung up on the technicalities, it is bad.

Which brings us to Jewish Law.  We are all familiar with the 10 commandments, but there are many more rules and laws than that.  Many Many more.  In total there are 613 Mitzvot or Laws.  Including prohibition against trimming your beard or women wearing men's clothing.  If we are looking at a set of rules with technicalities, there you go.  Jesus taught to look beyond the law to it's true purpose.  Jesus taught that all things must be done in love and while the law should be respected, it can never descend into a system that is just technicalities.

Watch this video from Pastor Chris.

Jesus taught us that the first and greatest commandment was to love.  God first, then each other.  The rules of the law should always be seen through the filter of love and never as a set of technicalities.  If we try to gain justification through the technicalities of the law, none of us can succeed.  If we gain justification through the love of Jesus Christ, then none of us can fail.