If Jesus was a church member today, he would probably be placed on ministerial probation by the clergy in some churches because he broke the rules. There are spiritual truths behind God’s authentic laws and norms. They were not meant to be rote mechanisms of “do this” and “don’t do that”. They were not to be interpreted legalistically to place people under bondage where one couldn’t gather food and eat if they were hungry, or rescue an animal from injury or do a good deed on the Sabbath. If you understand the spiritual principle behind God’s laws, you’ll uncover a law of nature. You won’t get stuck on the periphery stretching your neck to get a glimpse of the Master, rather you’ll “break the roof” through to His truths and the miracles that follow them. 

Laws for the Lawless

Laws were expressly created for lawbreakers, 1 Timothy 1: 8-11. If there were no laws there would never be an offence. Everything anyone decided to do would be okay. The perpetrator would have free reign with no consequences. However, laws were institutionalized to make offences known. Prior to that man was convicted by his conscious alone.

The law in the Bible goes beyond religious and ceremonial laws it also addresses civil appropriateness as well (reference the 613 Mizvots of the Hebrew Bible). So needless to say, civil or religiously, we live in rule-based societies.

To name a few, there are:

• House rules
• Work rules
• School rules
• Meeting norms
• Municipal rules
• Federal laws
• International Laws and standards of conduct

House in Order

If not guided by an explicit rule, there are implicit rules that govern familial, cultural, social, communal or religious norms and traditions.

For instance, when I was growing up, the house rules were:

• Don’t eat the last of anybody’s food or drink
• As kids, don’t take part in a grown folks conversation
• Get home before dark
• Don’t address adults by their first names without a Miss, Mrs., or Mr. in front of it. And always answer with a “yes or no mam” or “yes or no sir.”

What about your house? Were there rules you had to follow?

Here’s a good one. How about, “Don’t break into someone’s house.”

Breaking and Entering

Mark tells the story of a breaking and entering not gone wrong but done right! Check it out.

Mark 2:1-12 Amplified Version

¹Jesus returned to Capernaum, and a few days later the news went out that He was at home. 

² So many people gathered together that there was no longer room [for them], not even near the door; and Jesus was discussing with them the word [of God]. 

³ Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men. 

⁴ When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug out an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. 

⁵ When Jesus saw their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], He said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 

⁶ But some of the scribes were sitting there debating in their hearts [the implication of what He had said], 

⁷ “Why does this man talk that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins [remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?” 

⁸ Immediately Jesus, being fully aware [of their hostility] and knowing in His spirit that they were thinking this, said to them, “Why are you debating and arguing about these things in your hearts? 

⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your mat and walk’? 

¹⁰ But so that you may know that the ^[Son of Man has the authority and power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man, 

¹¹ “I say to you, get up, pick up your mat and go home.” 

¹² And he got up and immediately picked up the mat and went out before them all, so that they all were astonished and they glorified and praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!

The four men carrying their friend on a makeshift cot approached the house where Jesus was teaching. Everything about that situation screamed never mind, we can’t get to Jesus!  The house was so packed with people they could not get to the door. Can you imagine the looks they got as they tried to get through the crowd saying “Excuse me, excuse me”? Lame man or not, they were not let through. That would have been enough to turn some around saying “we’re going to have to get an earlier start tomorrow.”

Paradigm Breaker

Then one or several of the friends had a really crazy idea. “Let’s lower him through the roof?!” They must have all agreed to some extent. They had to hoist him to the roof somehow and then break apart the roof! How many of us would have stopped here?

Getting the hostile looks was one thing but tearing apart a man’s roof? Nevertheless, they started dismantling the roof. The roof was made of mats, woven leaves and clay tiles. Once they started, I’m sure they were making noise.  Imagine the people below hearing the clack, clack of the tiles hitting the roof and bits of roof debris precipitously falling on their heads and clothing.

What! People began to remove their attention from Jesus and look up probably a little confused and aggravated. Good grief! The roof was opening up! How many of you would have bailed here?

At some point the men on the roof had to think the owner would come rushing to the roof any time now. But they kept going, probably as quickly as they could to avoid such a confrontation. Finally, the opening was big enough to lower the man on the cot.

Imagine the comments as the cot was slowly lowered.

“Idiots!”

“What fools!”

“Who’s the owner? They’re going to pay a pretty penny for this!”

All the while the men lowered their friend. What point in your faith walk would you have stopped?

Would the people glaring at you stopped you?

How about the chore of hoisting your friend on the roof?

Maybe the potential consequences of dismantling a man’s roof?

At lowering the friend among the clamor of hushed rebukes and whispers?

Everything these men did broke a rule. Let’s list them.

1. Wait your turn. Broke it.
2. Respect other’s property. Broke it.
3. Putting a paralyzed man at risk of further injury. Broke it.
4. Interrupting a religious gathering, i.e., not being decent and in order. Broke it.
5. Protect your reputation. Broke it.

Well, these men were seeking the master rule-breaker, Jesus. They were in good company.

Some Rules are Made to be Broken

As previously stated, if Jesus was a church member today, he would probably be placed on ministerial probation because he broke the rules. Consider the following instances.

The Law: Do not Gather on the Sabbath – Broke It

His disciples gathered and ate corn from the corn field on the Sabbath, Mark 2:23-28. Doing this on the Sabbath broke Mosaic Law. It sure did and Jesus supported it. But Jesus had a point to make by doing so. Their understanding of the law was as deep as the depth of their reading skills. When there is no spiritual insight, a rule becomes a blanket that smothers out the light it contains.

The spiritual truth of that rule was not its rote mechanisms of “do this”, “don’t do that”. God had built into our week a day of corporate leisure so we can all rest from labor at the same time. It was not to be interpreted legalistically where one couldn’t gather food and eat if they were hungry, or rescue an animal from injury or do a good deed.

If you understand the spiritual principle behind God’s rules, you won’t get stuck outside stretching your neck to get a glimpse of the Master, rather you’ll enjoy His truths and the miracles that come with them.

The Norm: Choose the Most Reputable, Qualified as Disciples – Broke It

Here’s another example of Jesus breaking the rules. When Jesus chose his disciples, he didn’t choose the cream of the crop. Let’s examine.

Peter was impulsive. Without much thought he cut off the ear of soldier, John 18:10.  After Jesus was arrested, under fear and pressure he resorted to lying and cussing, Matthew 26: 73-75. Even after grace was extended to Peter, he showed himself as two-faced when separating himself from Gentile believers when his Jewish compadres showed up, Galatians 2: 11-14.

James and John were ambitious cut throats. They sought Jesus secretly to secure seats beside Jesus when he came into his kingdom, Matthew 20: 20-24. And they hid behind their mother as she made the inquiry!

John who later wrote the book of Revelation was a moma’s boy and a kiss-up. He laid his head on Jesus’ chest at dinner (John 13:25) but what was his posture when Jesus was arrested? On the cross of crucifixion, Jesus asked him to take care of his moma although he had brothers to do that, John 19:25-27. Why? Because John needed to be needed.

The Norm: Build Associations within Your Own Class – Broke It

Jesus associated with tax collectors (having the disdain of the IRS from today’s perspective), broken people of no reputation and women of ill-repute.

If you notice, there is not much evidence he spent a lot of time with his cousin, John the Baptist, other than when John baptized him. When John was in prison, soon to be executed, Jesus sent words but he didn’t go see him. Ouch!

He spent his time with the likes of a motley crew— cussing Peter, cutthroat James and John and baby-face John the Revelator. And what do I have to say to that?

Halleluiah!

Because if He, the most holy God loved on, chased after, died for, and changed them, he can do the same for lowly ol’ me! I pass the motley crew test and so do you!

Radical Actions Brings Radical Results

So then, what was driving these four men to do what they did for their friend?

Was it the plea of their paralyzed friend to take it as far as they did?

Was it their love for him to risk the looks, the talk, maybe a lawsuit for destroying someone else’s property?

They had to change their way of thinking. They had to disregard what they were taught. We have the Bible to go by as our compass but don’t be afraid to be radical in your ministry. Don’t worry about how others have done it, or if you’re not well supported. If God says do it, Do It!

Win! Win! Loser!

In Matthew 25: 14-30, the master of the house gave out his possessions (talents) to his servants for safe-keeping for he was going on a long journey. Two of the servants were risk-taking rule-breakers. It wasn’t enough to keep the possession safe, they had enough enthusiasm for the task that they went beyond the instruction (rule). They enhanced the outcome by doubling the value of the possession.

There was one servant however, who was not going to fall outside the parameters of the instructions given him. He was going to ensure the safety of that one talent by burying it where no one would discover it. Then the master returns.

The master saw that two of his servants doubled the value of the possessions they were given to care for. He called them good and faithful servants. Then he turned to the one servant who had buried his talent. The servant knew immediately he had messed up when he presented the one talent he was given.  Look at Matthew 25: 24-25.

²⁴ “The one who had received one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a harsh and demanding man, reaping [the harvest] where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed.

 ²⁵ So I was afraid [to lose the talent], and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is your own.’

If this servant in fact knew his master’s nature, shouldn’t he have ‘broken a roof’ to get him what he desired? The paralyzed man didn’t want to leave the same way he came.  Neither did the master want to see the same results he left.

Isn’t that like life. You can bless people with money, favors, loans, etc. Some will make good of your blessing and bring good returns while others pilfer and waste your effort, time and possessions. Unfortunately, as in the story these people will always be among us.

The other servants were risk-takers and rule-breakers. They took their talents and worked them without direction. They had no guarantee they would multiply. Actually, the talents weren’t theirs so why did they even care if they multiplied. But they worked them anyway.

Playing it safe isn’t always profitable naturally or spiritually. To be profitable spiritually you may find yourself breaking norms, legacy yokes that have been handed down from generation to generation that have no profitability margin.

Break Norms not Your Form

Our teachers knew what they knew within the constraints of their walk with God. For example, my grandmother was a great teacher of good and kindness and I admired and loved her tremendously. When I did things as a child I would think of her, if she would approve or not. I admired her so that unconsciously I began to walk like her.

One of my grandmother’s legs was shorter than the other because she was stricken with polio as a child. She walked with a very noticeable limp swaying side to side. I didn’t know it at the time but I emulated her gait. It wasn’t a family member that told me I walk like an old lady it was a peer in school. They said it in such a way I immediately started working on changing my walk.

Why didn’t my family point it out.? They didn’t because the manifestation of my grandmother’s affliction became normalized in the household. It wasn’t until I got into middle school, I received the jolting revelation that my walk was not normal. I had to find my form and walk it.

Moral of this story? While I support breaking norms when justified, I am also cautioning not to make abnormal normal, not to make poison FDA approved for consumption. Apply wisdom. What is your end goal? Is it worthy of putting yourself out there?

I do not support anarchy. I support seeking enlightenment through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If we can begin to even approach “the ways of Him who are past finding out”, we will have to break some of our mind-limiting rules and norms.

Conclusion – Breaking the Roof

What are those cultural, societal, religious norms that should have their roof broken? Had not the technological roof been broken we would not be enjoying the creature comforts of lightbulbs, automobiles, computerized devices and space travel.

Not that you have to be the next to win the Nobel Peace Prize but I am suggesting you “break the roof” of your limitations and those abnormal things you’ve christened normal. Who knows what potential lies on the other side of the roof? Understand what freedoms we all will enjoy as we take up our beds (evidence of what was) and walk into the new.