The Law

He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and  it falls in a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?” — Matthew 12:11.

When I was a trial lawyer in Arkansas, there was one jury instruction that  the Judge gave to the jury in practically every case. He would say, “Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, in considering the evidence in this case you are not required to set aside your common knowledge or sense ….” I can’t count the number of times I referenced this admonition in my closing argument.

Jesus thousands of years earlier told his followers something similar. He wasn’t saying disobey or ignore the laws of the Sabbath, but he did say temper the laws with common sense.

The literal interpretation of the laws of your land or faith are always subject to common sense and grace.

About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.

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