John 7:21-24 (NIVUK)
21 Jesus said to them, ‘I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.’
Jesus is being criticised for healing on the Sabbath. His response is blunt, if the Law permits them to circumcise on the Sabbath, surely that permits healing as well – circumcision should be seen as part of God’s salvation, his promise of wholeness, restoration and healing, of which the miracle is too, and a greater act as well! This, alongside John 7:24, suggest to me that for Jesus it wasn’t the letter of the Law (‘mere appearances’) that matters, but the intention behind it (an understanding of which enables us to ‘judge correctly’).
Spirit, help us to see beyond the record of your will in the Bible to see your intent behind it, and to act accordingly.
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