Religion tells you to follow rules, Jesus tells you to follow him

Reflection

The contrast between religion as a set of rules and relationship with Jesus as something more personal is a familiar theme in contemporary Christian teaching, and it captures something real: Jesus repeatedly clashed with religious leaders of his day over rule-keeping that had lost sight of love and mercy, famously reminding them that the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). At the same time, the contrast can be overstated if it is taken to mean that following Jesus involves no structure, discipline or obedience at all. Jesus himself said that if people love him they will keep his commandments (John 14:15), which suggests obedience is not opposed to relationship but flows from it. The healthiest way to hold this together is to see rules not as the goal but as an expression of love once it exists, much as a good friendship naturally produces certain patterns of loyalty and care rather than resenting them as burdens.

Questions to sit with

• Does your own faith feel more like rule-keeping or relationship at the moment?
• Where might obedience actually be an expression of love rather than a burden?
• What rule or practice in your faith life needs a renewed sense of why it matters?

Topics