Hook: What policies that are unfriendly to people have you observed in organizations?

Book: The synagogue ruler rebuked Jesus for healing this woman on the wrong day. The man–made Sabbath traditions were more important to him than her health. Jesus pointed out that this ruler would change the rules for donkeys but not for a suffering woman. Often, rules and traditions reveal a person’s heart and hypocrisy. Could this leader have been jealous of Jesus’ ability to heal? When you hear someone celebrating a manmade rule, you should wonder why. God’s rules will always help people.

Took: What makes you so callous that you would willingly abuse people in order to enforce a rule or tradition? What should be the purpose of healthy traditions or rules?