AfterWords: Breaking the Rules—Tradition

 

John 9:1-16a

Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth…brings a healing that will completely change this man’s life. And the Pharisees response? “But you did it on a Sabbath…!” Really? Sigh….

The Sabbath rules that Jesus broke were based on tradition, not on the Scriptures. God gives us the amazing gift of Sabbath—a day of rest, a break from the rush and hurry of work. Over the centuries following the gift of the Sabbath, the well-meaning Pharisees and teachers of the law decided they should “help” people avoid breaking the Sabbath command by building fences around the Sabbath, by making it painfully (and exhaustingly!) clear what was work and what wasn’t. Jesus broke the rules of tradition…and the Pharisees were having none of it.

Just before the Pharisees have their conniption over Sabbath-breaking, the disciples bring a very theological question to Jesus concerning the fellow born blind: “Who sinned that this man was born blind? Him or his parents?” (John 9:2). The disciples and the cultural were still struggling with a worldview that was centuries old—the law of retribution—a law (wish?) still alive and well today. They understood that if one did something good, then good would follow, and if someone did something bad, bad would follow. Here’s a man born blind (bad), so someone must have done something bad to precipitate this. Jesus now has a chance to affirm or deny the law of retribution—and thankfully, Jesus denies this law. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus says, but just watch how God’s glory comes through all of this!

So, Jesus is breaking the rules here, breaking tradition, and we need to know that breaking tradition may be necessary, helpful, life-giving at times. But, we also need to see that this is about more than breaking tradition. This is about putting first things first, about putting people in need before everything else. Before traditions, rules, or laws, Jesus puts people first.

This is how God deals with us. God puts us first allowing his own Son to die that we—you and I—may have life. God puts forgiveness before retribution, love before justice. And Jesus does the same. The law of love replaces the law of retribution. To echo Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, if we faithfully maintain the traditions, keep the rules, and observe the laws but do not act with loving kindness towards those in need, we are nothing.

The law of love—this is what motivates Jesus and should motivate us as followers of Jesus. Traditions are great. Customs can be beautiful. Our usual and normal practices can be helpful. But if ever we have to choose between any of those things and meeting the needs of a person, Jesus shows us clearly what our task is: We follow the law of love, we follow Jesus.

Sunday, February 15, 2026
Breaking the Rules: Enemies
Watch/Listen: 
9AM (Contemporary) - HERE
11AM (Traditional) - HERE