Law vs. Love

Matthew 12. 2

 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

Social Media is a breeding ground for negativity, but it is also a wonderful place to share joys and sorrows, praises and thanksgivings. For the most part, I am able to stay away from the fray and relish in the happiness of sharing life stories and love. Yesterday was different.

We are in an exciting place in the life of the National Episcopal Church, having just elected a new Presiding Bishop whom most people think is the very perfect next step after our beloved Michael Curry, the previous PB. One of the final decisions of the convention was to vote in favor of changing the wording in our prayer book of the question What is Holy Matrimony? from "a Christian marriage in which the woman and the man enter into a life-long union" to "a Christian marriage in which two people enter into a life-long union." Though most people in my circles were overjoyed, a few people piped in with shock and dismay and statements trying to prove that Jesus did not support gay marriage and he spoke out against it.

Well...as I pondered this off and on in the night, I could not remember anywhere Jesus spoke a word about gay marriage, but I know many places he spoke out against demons and against the Pharisees. He cast out demons by terrifying them with his goodness, and he chastised the Pharisees by pointing out all the places they put following the law before loving your neighbor.

I am reminded of the teaching we do with little people about how to know the difference between being kind and being right...When you have a choice, be kind because it is always right to be kind. Love supersedes the Law. Jesus did say the two great commandments were "Love the Lord your God with all you heart and mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself."