Legalism -vs- Love

Acts 21:17-40. It has been said that wherever Paul went, either a revival or riot broke out. Well when Paul arrived in Jerusalem, a riot broke out. What's interesting in this chapter is the efforts that were undertaken to avoid a riot, but those efforts failed. The elders of the Jerusalem church told Paul that some Jewish Christians were accusing him of trying to turn Jewish Christians away from the law. They suggested that, to dispel those rumors, Paul should take a special vow and visit the Temple, and Paul did so (v.19-26). Rather than appeasing the Jews, however, Paul's gesture only added fuel to the fire as he was falsely accused of bringing Gentiles into the Temple.

Now while we commend Paul's flexibility, what should break our hearts is the church of Jerusalem's immobility. The church there had become paralyzed in legalism and traditionalism. And when the mob seized Paul, where was the church? It's a sad commentary on the church because it was the Romans that came to his rescue. But you see, that's what happens when legalism and traditionalism sets in a church. She becomes immobile and unwilling to rescue the perishing. She becomes too busy making up rules, correcting people who break those rules, and maintaining the status quo, which means maintaining the same old mess. "Lord help us not to care more about external regulations and forms than we do about love, commitment, and standing by one another when someone's getting beaten up." That should be our lesson and prayer today.