During the Saturday double-header televised baseball games of the 1970s, the network showed video clips of controversial plays. Before the umpire actually made the call, the video stopped and challenged the viewer with, “You make the call.” After the commercial break and before the game resumed, they returned to the video and explained the proper call, and you were able to test your knowledge of the rules. My rules of the game knowledge was never very good.
The Major League rulebook contains about 71 rules; conversely the Little League rulebook holds 111. Every game has rules, and in order to avoid chaos and an unfair advantage, the rules are written down, explained and published so that everyone knows the framework by which the game is played. No one wants to play a game where rules are fluid and are arbitrarily changed just to give an advantage to one player or team.
Baseball, unlike any other game or sport, has a series of “unwritten rules” to help guide the play of the game. According to one website, at least twenty-five of these rules exist. Some of these rules include: don’t steal third base with two outs; if a pitcher hits a teammate, hit one of theirs; no showing up or bat flipping for a home run (refer to previous rule). At least twenty-five of these so-called rules exist, and my guess is that the list will get longer not shorter with time. Baseball isn’t the only group to have rules run amok.
According to some sources, the Jewish religious leaders in the first century had calculated that the Law contained over 600 rules. To top it off, they quickly debated among themselves the most important rules to obey. Thus, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment (Mt. 22:34-40; Mk. 12:28-34), they were inviting him into a current discussion/debate. While one may marvel at their penchant for numbering commands, it was their Unwritten Rules that exposed their hypocrisy.
I’ve read a number examples of the rules that were enforced in order to protect the Israelites from breaking the commands. They decided a specific distance was safe enough before breaking the 4th Commandment. They also refused to eat eggs that chickens laid on the Sabbath, because the chickens “worked” to lay the eggs. Of course we can quickly see their flawed thinking, and even mock them, because noting others’ legalism is easier than noticing our own tendencies. They were man-made. They were fluid and could easily be changed. They became more important than keeping the Law itself. They were the Unwritten Rules.
When we prescribe a dress code for worship, or demand everyone to use a certain translation, or refuse to allow certain songs sung in the song service (i.e. Stamps-Baxter or “camp songs”), or saying the Old Testament doesn’t really count because we’re New Testament Christians (the list is endless), are we not simply creating or enforcing Unwritten Rules?
Two passages come to my mind concerning these Unwritten Rules. First, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, he focused on Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength,” and Leviticus 19:18, “loving our neighbors as ourselves” (Mt. 12:29-31). Secondly, when he uttered the seven woes against the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, he told them they should have spent more time focusing on the more important points of the Law: justice, mercy and faithfulness without ignoring the other matters (Mt. 23:23).
Without creating another set of rules it seems Jesus’ challenging words are clear enough. Keep loving God and each other a priority. Start investing in justice, mercy and faithfulness. Stop creating Unwritten Rules, because keeping the first two challenges are hard enough.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. Only God is Glorified!)