Reaching Out

Laws & Loopholes or Grace and Love?
By Ro Lashua

Do you remember the law suit a few years ago from a McDonald’s customer concerning hot coffee? The coffee spilled on the customer and burned her. She actually sued McDonalds restaurant corporation for giving her hot coffee that burned her. She won that law suit.

I don’t know of ANY right minded adult in America that wouldn’t know that the hot coffee at McDonald’s is HOT.

Looking for loop holes is about not taking responsibility for our own actions. I remember, when I was growing up, law suits were actually placed against people who were negligent and or had criminal intent. Suing for hot coffee being hot just wasn’t done back then.

As we have gotten more legally focused we have become less concerned with caring for or about others. Legalism does NOT equal Love. These actually repel each other.

According to Random House Dictionary (2009) Legalism is defined as:

“Strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit.”

The key here is the strictness to the letter rather than the spirit of the law. Obeying the laws of the land is important. However, taking laws and dissecting them to escape personal responsibility and tossing individuals to the wind, isn’t appropriate Christian behavior.

Jesus told a parable about a man who was attacked and beaten and left along the roadside on his way to Jericho. The first passerby was a priest, he didn’t stop. The second was a Levite, he didn’t stop. These two were very well educated in the Law of God yet they chose to walk away from the man in need.

There evidently was no LAW that told the Priest or the Levite that they HAD TO help the stranger, so they didn’t. The 3rd man who saw the beaten stranger along the road was a Samaritan. He was the one who had the correct response. He helped him and even took him to an Inn and paid for his room and care until he returned. He showed the stranger grace and mercy. He didn’t check him out to see if he had sinned to cause this calamity to happen. He just showed him mercy and helped him.

Like 10:36-37 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise (KJV).

Grace and love is the flip side to the Law coin. When we see someone in need or someone who makes a mistake, the Christian thing to do is to NOT judge them but to show them grace and mercy and kindness.

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (NIV).

Showing others love is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that we are in tune with what Jesus would do. Ahhh is that a key to all this?

What would Jesus do if he saw someone in need? He would show them love. He did that, remember?

John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV).

That is what he did on the cross. He gave up his life for all of us who have ever lived. He had lived a sinless life because he was God in the flesh. He then had to die to pay the penalty for our sins. He knew he was our only hope for eternal salvation. So he died for us. That is the ultimate love, to lay down one’s life for someone else.

II Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (NIV).

Thank you Jesus!

Copyright © 2010 Ro Lashua.  All rights reserved.