Governed by Law, Not Ruled by It
Laws are meant to govern, not to rule. They set boundaries, maintain order, and promote justice. But when the law is twisted into a weapon, it becomes a tool of control rather than a safeguard of freedom. This was the battle Jesus fought against the legalists of His day—and it’s the battle we see today.
To be governed means we live under laws, we follow them, and they provide order. But laws are not absolute; they serve a higher purpose—justice. Biblical justice is not mere legalism. It is righteousness, fairness, and mercy. God’s law, as given in the Old Testament, was never meant to be a rigid set of rules to control people. It was a guide to holiness, pointing toward something greater—grace.
The Pharisees and Sadducees missed this. They saw the law as control, a mechanism to maintain power. Jesus confronted them directly, exposing their hypocrisy. Time after time, they tried to trap Him using the law, and time after time, He turned it back on them.
Defining Justice: The Jury as the Conscience of the Community
“An unjust law is no law at all.” — St. Augustine.
Justice is the cornerstone of legitimate law. Without justice, laws become instruments of oppression rather than protections of freedom. True justice ensures that laws serve the people rather than control them.
“Law is not law, if it violates the principles of eternal justice.” — Lydia Maria Child
The Founding Fathers recognized that laws must be rooted in moral principles, not just legal codes. As John Adams noted, “A government of laws, and not of men,” reflects the ideal that laws should not be manipulated for political gain.
“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands… may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” — James Madison, Federalist No. 47
When those in power control the interpretation and execution of laws without accountability, tyranny takes hold. Justice is preserved when power is checked and balanced.
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” — Thomas Jefferson (attributed)
Justice is upheld not just through laws, but through the will of the people. The jury system embodies this principle, acting as the conscience of the community, ensuring that laws align with justice rather than serve as instruments of power.
“Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society.” — Alexis de Tocqueville.
If justice is abandoned, the law becomes a mere instrument of force. Misusing the law to control rather than to protect is the first step toward despotism.
“Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” — Alexis de Tocqueville.
A just society requires more than laws—it involves the virtue of its people. When leaders and institutions discard morality in favor of power, they corrupt the very foundation of freedom.
Jesus’ Indictment of Corrupt Leadership
1. Whitewashed Tombs (Matthew 23:27-28)
Jesus delivered one of His most scathing rebukes to the religious leaders:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
This wasn’t just a condemnation but an indictment of an entire system. The Pharisees projected an image of holiness while harboring corruption. They weaponized the law, but their hearts were far from God. Jesus exposed their obsession with control and their neglect of true justice.
2. The Question of Authority (Matthew 21:23-27)
The chief priests and elders asked Jesus by what authority He acted. He responded with a question about John the Baptist—was his baptism from heaven or man? They refused to answer, exposing their political calculations. Jesus didn’t fall into their trap.
3. The Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8:1-11)
The Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus, hoping He would either condemn her (and contradict His message of grace) or release her (and violate the law of Moses). Instead, He wrote in the dirt, saying, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” One by one, they left. The law was meant to point to sin and justice, but they used it for power.
4. Paying Taxes to Caesar (Matthew 22:15-22)
The Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus—if He rejected paying taxes, He would be a rebel; if He accepted, He would seem loyal to Rome. Jesus asked for a coin. “Whose image is this?” “Caesar’s.” “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” The law has limits. It is not ultimate.
5. The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40)
A Pharisee tested Jesus: “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus responded with love—love God and love your neighbor. “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The law was never about rules alone. It was about the heart.
6. Healing on the Sabbath (Luke 6:6-11)
Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were outraged. “Is it lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath?” Jesus asked. He exposed their hypocrisy—they would help an ox in trouble, but not a suffering man. The law was meant for good, not control.
7. The Seven Woes (Matthew 23)
Jesus condemned the Pharisees seven times. They were hypocrites, blind guides, and whitewashed tombs—clean on the outside but dead inside. They loved power and prestige but neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The law had become their tool for self-glory.
You Caught the Drift
Jesus did not abolish the law. He fulfilled it, exposed those who twisted it for control, and reminded us that law exists for justice, not tyranny.
Today, we see a similar game. Efforts to claw back fraud, waste, and abuse in government spending are met with legal battles. Lawsuits, indictments, and procedural maneuvers serve not to uphold justice but to protect those who benefit from corruption. The law is wielded as a shield for the powerful, not as an instrument of fairness.
Justice should not be a tool of the ruling class. It should serve the people. We are governed by laws, but we should never be ruled by them.