Read: John 9:13-34. A legalistic mind works like this: The law of Moses says you shall not work on the sabbath. But what is work and what isn't? Is making clay work? Sure. Is healing someone work? Yes. Jesus reasoned differently: the Sabbath was a good law, but people matter more than laws. Further, adding to the plain Mosaic law hundreds of sub-clauses leads to elevating 'human tradition' above the Word of God. The law ceases to be a servant, and becomes a tyrannical master; only the most erudite will ever know all the sub-clauses. In any case, the Sabbath was made for us; we were not made for the Sabbath.

Today, someone who applies 'sabbath' to 'Sunday' might reason: I shouldn't 'break the sabbath' so I'd better not work, nor support any enterprise that engages in Sunday trading. So a legalist will not buy Monday's newspaper, or travel by public transport, etc. The sabbath remains a good principle: do something 're-creational' on one day a week (if you work at a desk for example, go walking!), and set aside the day also for regular worship.

Meditate: How in our culture can institutional legalisms or regulations imprison persons within their deadly grasp? Put yourself into the mind-sets of the Pharisees, and try to argue their way. Then imagine you're Jesus, and think his way.

Help me to value persons very highly. The butcher, the pastor, the prostitute are persons - made in your image, worth your dying for. So help me to relate to others with integrity, and not fit them into my little legalistic systems or formulas. For your glory, Lord. Amen.