How Does Jesus Show People Are More Important Than Law
‘How does Jesus show people are more important than the law?
Do you agree? Explain why or why not.’ Jesus suggests that people are more important than the law through many of his actions and the things he preached, that went against or undermined the strict Laws the Jewish society he was born into held to. Many of these actions and the things he said could be interpreted to mean that Jesus did not think these laws were not applicable in some circumstances anymore and so needn't be obeyed, resulting in him prioritising people, and more importantly, love, over some of the laws. Jesus first specifies that people have priority over law in Mark 2:2328, where he states in particular ‘“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”’. This suggests that he was challenging the ‘ruleworshipping’ society that the Pharisees had created, where it was no longer about keeping the laws to honour God and for the benefit of man, but instead about abiding to the laws and being punished if you didn’t. In stating this, Jesus is emphasising this and suggesting that the laws were not the most important thing, and mercy on the people was more important if the laws were not kept than punishment. This idea is again submitted in
John 8:111, where instead of punishing the adulterous woman, Jesus grants mercy on her and instead says ‘Now go and leave your life of sin.’ This again implies people are more important than upholding the law, although it is obvious that each scenario is different and must be handled accordingly. Instead of emphasising law as the most important thing, Jesus instead introduces Love as the most important commandment over keeping the law. This is made apparent in Mark 12:2831, when Jesus stated the most important commandment is ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, ...soul, ...mind and ...strength’ and the second being ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Jesus goes on in Luke 10:2537 to specify that being someone’s
Do you agree? Explain why or why not.’ Jesus suggests that people are more important than the law through many of his actions and the things he preached, that went against or undermined the strict Laws the Jewish society he was born into held to. Many of these actions and the things he said could be interpreted to mean that Jesus did not think these laws were not applicable in some circumstances anymore and so needn't be obeyed, resulting in him prioritising people, and more importantly, love, over some of the laws. Jesus first specifies that people have priority over law in Mark 2:2328, where he states in particular ‘“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”’. This suggests that he was challenging the ‘ruleworshipping’ society that the Pharisees had created, where it was no longer about keeping the laws to honour God and for the benefit of man, but instead about abiding to the laws and being punished if you didn’t. In stating this, Jesus is emphasising this and suggesting that the laws were not the most important thing, and mercy on the people was more important if the laws were not kept than punishment. This idea is again submitted in
John 8:111, where instead of punishing the adulterous woman, Jesus grants mercy on her and instead says ‘Now go and leave your life of sin.’ This again implies people are more important than upholding the law, although it is obvious that each scenario is different and must be handled accordingly. Instead of emphasising law as the most important thing, Jesus instead introduces Love as the most important commandment over keeping the law. This is made apparent in Mark 12:2831, when Jesus stated the most important commandment is ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, ...soul, ...mind and ...strength’ and the second being ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Jesus goes on in Luke 10:2537 to specify that being someone’s