The Speeding Ticket
You’re cruising down the freeway on a beautiful day. The windows are down, the wind feels cool and crisp as you wave your hand through the air. The road is clear, for the most part, and you’ve taken advantage of it. Then suddenly, you see the flashing lights no one wants to see in your rearview mirror. You’re being pulled over by the highway patrol.
You safely make your way to the side of the road and the officer keeps you waiting in anticipation for what seems to be hours. Finally, he makes his way over to your rolled down window. “Good afternoon”, he begins, “you know why I’m pulling you over?” Of course you know. “Yes, sir. I believe I was speeding”, you admit. He begins to inspect you and adds, “You’re also not wearing your seat belt. Proof of insurance and license please.”
Your heart sinks. “This has never happend. I left my wallet at home! I don’t seem to have them with me”, you say in dispair.
The officer proceeds to write you a number of tickets and sends you on your way – luckily.
Fast forward a few weeks and your court date has come. You must stand before the judge. This judge is well-known for being a strict, by-the-book, judge. He reviews your case and prepares to hand down his sentence. It’s brutal. A huge fine or jail time.
Just than, a man you’ve never met or seen, enters the room. He consults with the judge and after a few minutes he leaves again.
“You’re free to go,” the judge states, “you’re fine has been paid. He only left one instruction; ‘Go and don’t break the law anymore!’ You’re a very lucky man.”
You didn’t deserve that kind of gesture, especially from someone you don’t even know! Yet, he showed you grace & mercy and paid the fine for you. In doing so, does him paying that huge fine for you mean that you can continue to speed on the highway (breaking the law), not wear a seat belt, forget your documentation?
Y’shua did just that for us. He was the perfect, unblemished sacrifice required of the Pesach (Passover) lamb. Yet, so-called believers continue to proclaim that by doing this sacrifice, by showing mercy and grace on us, he somehow did away with the Law (His Torah). If that were the case then, what is stopping you right now from having an affair with someone? What is stopping you from taking the hate in your heart and acting on it and murdering someone? Or, what is stopping you from stealing that new expensive [fill in the blank item]?
Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete (pleroo ~ fully preach). Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (commandments) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven! ~ Matisyahu (Matthew) 5:17-20
Take a look around you. Has Heaven or Earth passed away yet? If you’re reading this, I’m guessing no. We’re challenging you to test your faith and understanding of what you’ve been taught. We challenge you to test everything as the Bereans tested everything Sha’ul (Paul) stated. (Acts 17:11)
