Did you know Jesus was regulated to death. The whole sin, atonement, salvation narrative not withstanding, Jesus died a victim of regulations.

Think about it:

• Jesus had parades and public gatherings for which he didn’t get permits. The Bible says the religio-government leaders of the day resented his large gatherings.
• Jesus was guilty of the unauthorized practice of medicine. He healed people he wasn’t supposed to, on days he wasn’t supposed to.
• Jesus operated a winery without the proper license. You remember when he turned the water into wine without obtaining his vintner’s license.
• Jesus caused construction without a building permit. It was the people he was leading who did that roofing job in Mark 4 when they removed the roof and lowered their friend on a pallet so that Jesus would heal him. I’ll bet that wasn’t a permitted construction project.
• Jesus violated the blue laws; you know those “not on Sunday” rules we used to have in America. Jesus picked and threshed some grain on the Sabbath and the regulators nearly lost their urine because of it.

I think you see my point. While God had a divine motive for offering up His Son, the people who killed Jesus ultimately did so because He repeatedly violated their rules. World-changers do that. They do the “right thing” not the “rule thing.” They cut the crap, move the ball forward, get in motion, make a difference.

I’m not against rules and regulations. Its good to have a few. Ten is a good number.

Did you know there are over 4500 identified federal crimes? That doesn’t include state crimes, local criminal statutes, or the tens of thousands of regulations foisted upon you by hundreds of agencies of the various governments to which you are subject. One law enacted in the aftermath of 9/11 created sixty new crimes alone. Really? Sixty? SIXTY new crimes contained in one law!

Greek philosopher Isocrates said: “Where there is a multitude of specific laws, it is a sign that the state is badly governed.”

In the first century, Tasedus wrote of Rome: “Formerly we suffered from crimes.  Now we suffer from laws.”

According to attorney Harvey Silverglate the average busy executive commits three felonies everyday—three things that an ambitious prosecutor could turn into an indictment if he or she chose to do so.

Harry Truman appointed a Supreme Court Justice named Jackson who is reported to have said, “Herein is the most dangerous power of the prosecutor; that he will pick people he thinks he should get, rather than cases that need to be prosecuted. With the law books filled with a great assortment of crimes, a prosecutor stands a fair chance of finding at least a technical violation of some act on the part of almost anyone.”

Regulations or freedom? You’ve gotta decide what you want, and you’d better make your wishes known at the ballot box and in your legislator’s ear. Personally, I’m not gonna just sit idly by and take it anymore. My congressman is on speed-dial. How about yours?