The Role for Rules

A Reflection on the First Reading for May 26th, 2019:
Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 15.1-2, 22-29

Certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the Apostles and the elders.

Then the Apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole Church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter:

“The brothers, both the Apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.

“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood and from what is strangled, and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

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As a child I was definitely a ‘rules’ person. I liked the order and expectation that come from rules. I liked the structure. I liked the clear pathway to success and accomplishment. It's very natural for children to thrive with rules. If I'm being honest, I still sometimes like to be a ‘rules’ person. Now there certainly is an important role for good, healthy rules — when they help to maintain order, keep us on track, or keep us headed in the right direction. But sometimes I like rules just for the sake of rules. I think it has something to do with pride — pride in my own ability to accomplish the task at hand.

As people we tend to overcomplicate things, or at least I do. And our faith in Jesus is no different. Here in this account of the history of the early church, we read about some individuals who decided to take it upon themselves to overcomplicate what faith in Jesus needed to entail. They did this with blatant disregard for the church leaders, ignoring correction from Paul and Barnabas. They added requirements and protocols, rules and regulations.  

I've done this too when it comes to faith. I've given myself rules to follow, tasks to accomplish, and boxes to check. I've ignored the body of believers, the Church, who speak in agreement with the Holy Spirit when they've given me a pretty clear message about what faith in Christ looks like. I think this really comes from my desire for control.  I want to decide what I will and won't do for God. I want to earn my way to His love. I want to control my own life — all aspects of it — including what my faith looks like. But that's not how it works. I don't have to add extra requirements to prove myself. I just have to accept the love God offers and the things that He asks.  

"I don't have to add extra requirements to prove myself. I just have to accept the love God offers and the things that He asks."

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I'm so grateful for the people He has put in my path who have pointed me back to Him when I've become confused. I'm grateful for the godly people in my life who, like the apostles in this account, loved me enough to correct me, pointed to the essentials of the faith, and said if you do this "you will do well. Farewell." (Acts 15:29)

Because the truth is, there is incredible freedom in following Christ. When I let my pride get in the way and I draft my own rules I am missing out. When I overcomplicate it by adding extra stuff to who He is I am robbing myself the opportunity of truly experiencing this freedom He offers.

Morgan MacKenzie

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