Legalism Distorts What God Intended

Now, for an example of misuse of the law and legalism in its truest sense, let's look at the attitude toward the Sabbath in the days of Jesus. First of all, let's look at the purpose for which the Sabbath was given, and you'll find that stated in Exodus 23 and verse 12.

“Six days thou shalt do thy work.”

Incidentally, those that believe in keeping the Sabbath ought to believe in working six days, too. Because it's all in the same commandment.

“Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest, that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.”

There are two words: rest and refreshing. Those are the primary purposes from man's point of view for which the Sabbath was ordained, that man and his whole household and his animals might enjoy rest and refreshing.

And Jesus said, we do not need to turn there, in Mark 2:27,

“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.”

What the Pharisees had done, and we'll see it in detail in a moment, was turn that upside down. So that now man was for the benefit of the Sabbath, not the Sabbath for the benefit of man. And I would suggest to you that's typical of legalism. It takes something God has ordained for man's good and makes a burden instead of a blessing out of it.

Now let's look at one example of the kind of controversy there was between Jesus and the religious leaders over the Sabbath in Luke 13. I think if you read the gospels, you'll note that Jesus almost went out of his way to heal people on the Sabbath. And I think he did it because that was the basic purpose for which the Sabbath was given: to bring rest and refreshing. And how can a person who's all crippled and twisted and in agony know real rest or refreshing?

But on the other hand, the religious leaders wanted to keep the crippled and the twisted and those in pain in that condition all through the Sabbath just to observe the Sabbath. So they had actually taken the Sabbath and twisted it to accomplish the exact opposite of what God intended it to accomplish. Now that's typical of legalism.

Let's read this story. We don't need to dwell on it. Luke 13, verse 11.

“Behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.”

Apparently, her condition was not spiritual, but merely physical. And as a result of a spirit of infirmity, her body was bowed together and she was incapable of standing up straight. And I'm sure all of us have seen people from time to time shuffling around in that condition, and my heart has always been moved with compassion for them. In fact, I wished I could do what Jesus did for this woman.

“And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, ‘Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.’”

Notice, Jesus made statements in faith, because she was still in the same condition after he'd said it as before.

“And he laid his hands on her.”

Now, some Pentecostals will tell you that it's not scriptural to lay hands on people who have evil spirits. But she had an evil spirit of infirmity and Jesus laid his hands on her. So, I'll follow Jesus.

“He laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation.”

If you could only picture that. To think of that poor woman had been in that awful situation for 18 years, and here she is gloriously and miraculously released. And the ruler of the synagogue gets very angry. That, incidentally, is another typical aspect of legalism which we won't go into, but it tends to make people angry.

“The ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, ‘There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.’ The Lord then answered him, and said, ‘Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?’”

You wouldn't let your ox or your ass go 24 hours without drink. But you'll let this woman stay bowed in this position all through the Sabbath.

“And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”

In fact, he was saying to them, that's the very purpose of the Sabbath: to set people free from their burdens.

“When he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.”

So that's a little analysis of legalism, its nature, and its effects.