Luke 6: How Jesus Drove Government Spies Insane

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Luke 6: 11  . . . And they were filled with madness; and communed (plotted) one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Right after Jesus healed the cripple man, the Pharisees were so filled with rage that Jesus would not obey their rules, they lost their minds.

The contrast between the beautiful Christ and the deceptive government officials is something to behold.

The Pharisees were the leading party of the Israel State. These characters, much like our State officials, did not believe in the rule of law for themselves; rather, they believed in ruling others through law. They were the party that believed you could change the world by multiplying regulations to control mankind. Further, they enforced their rules on the citizenry while exempting themselves.

The word “madness” is the Greek word anoia. It means “without a mind,” “stupid,” and “mindless” We get the word “ignorant” from this word, but ignorance is not what is conveyed here. Rather, the idea here is one of rage or fury – a state of mind lacking reason and sensibility.

Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath drove the government officials crazy — crazy enough to plot how to assassinate Him! Likewise, the more you become like Christ and resist the State’s control of your person and your possessions, the more you will enrage government officials.

Let’s analyze how Jesus drove these government officials insane.

Luke:6 6-11 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed (plotted) one with another what they might do to Jesus.

The entire conflict between Christ and these officials was over whose laws should govern society – the laws of God or the statutes of men.

Since gods are the source of law, you can discover the god of that society by discovering its source of law. In Jesus’s mind, the Source of law was the LORD God; in the mind of these officials, the source of law was their Sanhedrin government. In the mind of Americans, the source of law is in WE THE PEOPLE. Democracy places the source of law in man. Can you say, idolatry?

Jesus was a man of Torah but he understood that law had limitations.

The Pharisees saw no limits to law and thought they could change the world by creating more rules to regulate society. They were not concerned with actual violations of God’s law; but, they became “unglued” when Jesus did not submit to their case law rulings.

Jesus loved liberty, but the government officials hated individual freedom.

They were a political party who thought they could change the world by multiplying laws and controlling men through regulations. They thought their codes applied to all men and were indignant when Jesus violated their rules against healing a man on the Sabbath.

When modern men think of freedom, they think of lawlessness — the freedom to do anything they want. But, this is not liberty. It is anarchy. Law is necessary for a civil society, but law has its limits. It cannot save or regenerate men, but properly exercised, it can purge evil from among men. Jesus believed in law — limited law (God’s law); the Pharisees believed in unlimited law — in an infinite number of man-made laws, rules, and regulations.

Jesus understood there was no liberty without responsibility. He also knew that every time the rulers created a law, the people lost a freedom.

Jesus had compassion on the invalid and used his power to set the man free from his pain and suffering.

The Jewish officials had no feelings for the man. Insentience dominated the ruling class. They were more interested in using the cripple to trap Jesus in a violation of their codes. Likewise today, government officials are callous beings who could care less about the people. They see law as a means of controlling people in order to produce their utopian society.

Our Lord challenged their legal principle: “I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?”

Like government officials today, they would not answer Jesus’ question. Because they were corrupt, they intended to be sub silentio. Silence is a species of conduct. When government officials go mute, it is because they have been caught in an act of fraud.

Silence can only be equated with fraud where there is a legal or moral duty to speak or where an inquiry left unanswered would be intentionally misleading. (US v. Tweel, 550 F.2d 297, 299 (1977) quoting US v. Prudden, 424 F 2d 1021, 1032 (1970)).

Jesus expressed little concern about being in conformity with man-made statutes, but He had great concerns about being compliant with God’s law.

The government officials had little interest in being compliant with God’s law, but had great concerns about enforcing compliance with their statutes on the people. To them, Jesus was a threat to their power.

Jesus confronted the officials for setting up a “Sabbath trap.”

This spiritual speed trap was designed to cite him for a statutory infraction of their rules. They saw themselves as “good guys” because they obeyed the rules; and, they saw Jesus as a “bad guy” because He was so cavalier about their rules and regs.

Jesus did good, healed the man, and set him free.

Since God’s law can be summarized under the principle, “Do no harm,” Jesus did not break God’s law by relieving the man of his suffering. There is no law against doing good! However, the government officials would rather see the man depressed and suffering than have one of their precious little statutes ignored . . . or, their power challenged.

Likewise, if you do no harm, you have committed no crime! If you are charged for violating some statute, fight back and refuse to be trapped in a commercial scheme to control you and extract money from you.

When Jesus did not comply with their Sabbath regulations, he stabbed a sword into the heart of Judaism. They went totally berserk – “popped a cork” and “blew a fuse.” And like law enforcement agencies in present time, they saw Jesus as a threat to the system. He had to go! Accusation, indictment, trial, and execution clogged the arteries of these hardened hearts.

Just as government officials had little concern for God’s law in Jesus’ day, they have little concern for God’s law in our time; just as the officials in Jesus’ day placed great emphasis on man-made statutes, government officials are vigorously concerned about the enforcement of man-made statutes today. Like the Party of the Pharisees hated freedom and demanded compliance to their rules, so modern government officials are eager to penalized you for violating their mala prohibita statutes.

As the Pharisees perceived Jesus as a threat to Judaism, modern government workers see those who do not comply with their statutes and rules as a threat to their power. FEMA calls it a threat to national security.

There is all the difference in the world between the rule of law (the Ten Commandments) and ruling men through law (multiplication of statutes).

May we know the difference!

And, as they crucified Jesus for non-compliance, State officials will punish you, dear Christian, if you do not submit to their totalitarian system which believes in the total subjugation of the total man to total government.

Brooky Stockton, pastor

 

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