Is God's Law Important?

or

Guidance From Your Friend!

And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you, go and do not sin again." The woman rose from her frightened crouch and started to scurry away. But then, as though suddenly aware of Jesus' closing injunction, she stopped and looked quizzically at her rescuer. "What do you mean, `do not sin again?'" She asked.

"I think you know what I mean." Jesus replied.

"But I don't know, Rabbi; unless you are suggesting that my relationship with Rubin is sinful."

"What would you call it?"

"A significant relationship." The woman answered. "An interpersonal commitment, in which each of us seeks to realize our full potential."

"Oh, really!" Jesus said.

"Rubin and I love one another. Surely you know what that means! How can a relationship be sinful when it expresses true love?"

"Well, what about your covenant with your husband?"

"Isaac? Well, Rabbi, Isaac and I never have really excited one another. We cannot realize our full potential together."

"What does that have to do with..."

"Come now Rabboni. People have a duty to themselves. You know, a right to their happiness."

"They do?"

"Certainly, and why should we let an outmoded legalism tie us into relationships that are sterile and unfulfilling."

"Oh, you mean that Isaac is unable to father children and you hope that Rubin..."

"Rabbi, You're putting me on. You know very well what I mean. God knows Isaac can father children. I have three of them to prove that."

"You have three children? And you propose to ignore your marriage vows and carry on with this man Rubin?"

"Oh Rabbi, you're really cute! `Carry on with this man Rubin.' That kind of talk went out with the age of the judges. I'm not saying that Rubin and I will stay together for ever, we may very well outgrow one another after a time and need room to explore our authentic selfhoods. People do change, you know."

"But the children?"

"Kids aren't as fragile as you think, Rabboni. You'd be surprised at how well they get along with Rubin; the way they hang on him when he stays for breakfast, when Isaac is away on a camel drive that is. They call him Uncle Rube and he does magic tricks for them and they like that. They much prefer him to Nathan."

"Nathan!"

"My previous significant relationship. He got to be a terrible drag. Said his conscious bothered him and legalistic stuff like that. I told him he should pay more attention to people like you."

"Like me? How might I have helped him?"

"Oh, you know that business you say about not being paralyzed by guilt and fearing human opinion."

"Oh, um..., but tell me if this Rubin loves you so deeply why wasn't he here today?"

"He wanted to be Rabbi, he really did, very much. But, he just can't stand the sight of blood. He is a very sensitive person, not at all like Joshua."

"Joshua? Another significant..."

"Oh, that was over a long time ago and it wasn't really significant, not really. You might say I was just trying my wings."

"What will you say to your husband about today?"

"I'll tell him to view it as a learning experience. A chance to broaden his horizons. Well, I must run now. Bye bye, Rabboni. Have a good day."

Jesus wept.

"If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands." John 14:15 (The Amplified Bible)