Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?
- John 7:19

The Law of Moses was important to the people who lived in and around the area where Jesus was teaching in John 7. The Law was a central part of their culture and of their religious self-understanding. The Law was what made them unique as a people. That's part of the reason Moses held such a place of honor in their culture.

In today's passage, Jesus accuses them of not keeping the Law that they claimed was so important. They were willing to kill over the Law, even to die for it ... they just weren't willing to keep it themselves.

There's lots of discussion throughout the New Testament about the ongoing role of the Law of Moses in the life and worship of the Christian community. In some passages, we hear that the Law has a limited role in our lives in light of the freedom we receive from Jesus' death and resurrection. In other passages, we're reminded that letting God guide our behavior (one of the chief purposes of the Law) remains significant for those who follow Christ.

When it comes to the Law we discover a tension, not a contradiction. The Law gives way to grace, yet we who live in God's grace willingly submit ourselves to his leadership and guidance.

What has been your experience with the Law of Moses? Where have you struggled with it? Where have you found it helpful?