on the other hand

Daily Java: You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven  (Matthew 5:43-45).

In Christianity, there is always an “other hand.” No matter how cut and dried things were, Jesus would always come up with an alternative to the legalistic way of thought that seemed to be the default way.

It is easy as Christians to go with the commands. We do that for several reasons. But mainly we do it because it is easy. Jesus said this, so therefore. When we go with the commands, we don’t have to think about the individual.

But even Jesus recognized that there were times when commands didn’t fit. He saw the individual, not the commands. He knew that it is easy to get lost in the structure.

People are beginning to see that the zero tolerance mindset that America wants to adopt does not work. There are always extenuating circumstances. You see this when you raise your children. You cannot have a hard and fast rule because there is always something that comes up that presents an exception.

The same with life. There are always exceptions to laws. I drove 100 mph on the freeway to get my wife to the hospital when she was in labor with my daughter even though the speed limit was 55mph. There were extenuating circumstances. The same with schools having a zero tolerance rule that says there is to be no fighting. But a child attacks another child and the second child defends himself and is expelled for three days. There definitely should be an exception here. The same over and over.

Not only that, but people make mistakes. Jesus saw that clearly. That was why he came.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” His comment said, in essence, there is an other hand that people in government and religion cannot seem to see.

In John 3:17, the Bible says, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Jesus didn’t come to enact new laws, but to bring us to God. He cannot bring people to God if he condemns them all. He chose love over law.

For instance, he said in Mark 2:26, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Those around him were saying (and rightly) that God made the Sabbath for rest so we couldn’t do anything on the Sabbath. He was healing on the Sabbath so they were mad. (People find the weirdest things to get mad at and when they want to get mad, they will find something no matter how good you are.)

Jesus said that God made his commands for us, not us for his commands. When the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought to him (John 7-8), his thought was not to carry out the law and execute her. His comment to those around him was that if they were perfect they could start the stoning.

Yes, she was guilty, but on the other hand, so are you. It did not excuse the sin, it loved the sinner. Adultery was wrong, but his mercy brought the sinner to God.

It is our fear to make sure sin is addressed that makes us harsh. It is our love for God and others that makes us remember that the people who are sinning are also loved by God. Jesus knew this.

In the Sermon on the Mount, he says adultery is bad, but on the other hand, so is thinking about it. Murder is bad, but on the other hand, so is thinking about it. And he kept saying this.

He says that if there is a point in which he had a choice between law and mercy, he would take mercy.

Stern righteousness with zero tolerance never works. And it certainly does not display the mind of Christ.

Life is not black and white. There is always an other hand.