He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14b-15).

Do you like to be told what to do?

True confession: I don't.

Okay, that's not always true. But when as a teenager I pushed back at my mother's list of Saturday morning chores, it was definitely true.

For generations the Hebrew people had pushed back at the written code with that not-confined-to-teenagers “Don't tell me what to do” attitude.

Some of them were resisters.

Some were Pharisee-types who flaunted their obedience.

Some were discouraged, having tried hard to achieve perfect code-keeping without success.

Some were flat-out law-code-breakers.

Then there were, in their eyes, the “mother types”–intense prophets chastising them for not toeing the line; which really got their goat.

Yet there the written code was—central to their religious, community, and personal life.

A stiff-necked, self-righteous, worn out, rebellious nation of people were at an impasse with their law code. Obviously that written code was not producing a positive outcome.

What to do?

Enter Jesus. In the fullness of time He canceled that written code and nailed it to the cross.

This is a really radical way to break a stalemate! It would be like making our country's penal code null and void and then declaring every prisoner innocent of their law-breaking crimes. After all, there would no longer be a law to break, so how could they be guilty?

Why did Jesus do this? Was He saying He had a better place to write that code? A transfer from stone and parchment to clean-slate hearts perhaps?

When a law is written on stone it is accessible to a point. It can be read and understood by the intellect.  

But Jesus' radical solution was to forgive all our sins and then write the law code on our now-clean-slate hearts and minds. This is the covenant I will make with them...I will put my laws in their hearts, I will write them on their minds (Hebrews 8:10).

Thus the impasse was over. Obedience, emanating from clean-slate hearts, could now occur genuinely and unforced.  For He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14b-15).

How do you tend to respond to being told what to do? In what way is this scripture good news for you?