When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. Luke: 13:12-14
Late Gani Fawehinmi was a man who knew the law to the letter and he used it to defend the masses. But he had what some people called a weakness. When a Governor was ousted. Many Lawyers argued that the process by which he was impeached was illegal because due process was not followed therefore the removal was a nullity. The argument was more as to the speed and steps. But Gani stood out stoutly to say that as far as he was concerned those arguments did not hold water because everybody knew that this guy ought to be outsted in the first place because he was politically irrelevant to the people. Some people saw that as a weakness on Gani's part and that when it is expedient to him he will apply the law and when it is not he will put the law aside.
Let's link that to the quotation above. Jesus healed a woman on a Sabbath day. Note that unlike what we do in modern day, the woman did not lobby or mount pressure. It pleased Jesus to heal her. But a knowledgeable LEADER of the Synagogue says Jesus was wrong to have done that on a Sabath. He was looking at the rules and not the effect of the action that was taken by Jesus on the lucky woman who had been crippled for more than 18 years and now saw an opportunity to be healed. Following the law, the Leader was right but the law was inexpedient. But following the LOVE of God which is above everything, Jesus was correct.
When God is ready to do whatever He intends, all laws must be suspended and FAVOUR and MERCY will take over while He leaves the observers to argue out the 'rightness' or 'wrongness' of His action. For instance, if a child purposes in his heart that he would be a punishment rather than a blessing to his family, God can raise a child out of wedlock who would be merciful to the parents the 'legitimate' child wants to punish. He can place mercy in the heart of a total stranger to the family to cater for the parents till their grave. He can cripple the child's ability to get wealth and make him poor. He can just do anything to ensure that only His purpose is fulfilled in the lives of the parents the child has written off.
Therefore when there's conflict between the law and Love, the latter must prevail, irrespective of what the law says. That was how Late Gani Fawehinmi consistently operated throughout his life. And that's what has come to play in the above quotation. When next you are torn between law and love, let love prevail. When next a voice tells you to consider the weakness of another, let love remind you of their strengths and do what good you have in mind for them. Good morning.
Note:
To be a Christian, you have to free yourself from the rigidity of the law or rules. What will should dictate your action is Love and God is Love.
