With a daughter who’s two and a half, I spend a fair amount of time explaining rules.  “No, you can’t climb up your dresser like a llama.”  “No, you can’t go play in the snow in just a diaper.”  “No, you can’t carry Charlie down the stairs.”

There are all kinds of rules in life.  Rules that keep us safe, like stop at red lights, obey the speed limit. There are rules that ensure our rights:  everyone over the age of 18 can vote.  There are anecdotal rules like the rule of three.  There are fashion rules, most of which I simply don’t understand, and rules of etiquette and protocol.  Rules protect us and others.  Rules make living on a planet with a billion other people livable.

This week, we’re exploring more rules.  Leviticus gives us some “You shall not’s”  and then in Matthew, Jesus gives us some creative ways to live within the law.  No longer is it enough to just follow the letter of the law, Jesus tells to “turn the other cheek, give the coat off our back, and go the extra mile.”  Is Jesus asking us to be doormats for the world in the name of love?

Rules bring out all kinds of reactions.  The mother in me appreciates rules that bring order and safety into my daughter’s life.  The pastor in me who lives in a world of all kinds of grey appreciates some guidelines.  The thirteen year old in me says, “Rules were made to be broken.”  What rules govern the life of a Christian?  Can we ever possibly follow them all?

I’ll see you on Sunday,

Pastor Heather

Filed under: Weekly Invitations by Pastor Heather