HOLY DISOBEDIENCE

June 6, 2025

When Following Jesus Means Breaking the Rules

“We must obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29

There’s a kind of obedience that looks like rebellion—not because it rejects authority, but because it refuses to serve the wrong kind. This is the scandal and the glory of following Jesus: sometimes, it means breaking the rules
(Acts 17:6).

Jesus Didn’t Just Obey—He Disrupted

Jesus broke the religious and social codes of his day:

He touched lepers (Mark 1:41–42)
He ate with tax collectors (Mark 2:15–17)
He healed on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10–17)

He wasn’t being provocative. He was being faithful—to a deeper authority: the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:27

He wasn’t scrapping the law (cf. Matthew 5:17). He was exposing how rules can get weaponized when they serve systems instead of souls (cf. Isaiah 29:13; Colossians 2:20–23).

Faithfulness Often Looks Like Resistance

Holy disobedience is not chaos. It’s clarity. It’s Micah 6:8 embodied:

“Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

The early church understood this. When told to stop preaching in Jesus’ name, the apostles said:

“We must obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29

They weren’t grandstanding. They were pledging allegiance to another kingdom (cf. Daniel 3:16–18). And that allegiance led them to prisons, beatings—and joy (Acts 5:41).

Following Jesus Will Get You Into Trouble

Jesus was crucified (Mark 15:13–15)
Stephen was stoned (Acts 7:54–60)
Paul was locked up (Philippians 1:12–14)

They weren’t casualties. They were witnesses—to a kingdom that flips power on its head (1 Corinthians 1:27–29).

“God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” — 1 Corinthians 1:27

What It Looks Like Today

Call out false gospels that protect power instead of the poor (Isaiah 10:1–2; Matthew 23:23)
Cross dividing lines others dare not touch (Luke 7:36–50; Acts 10:28)
Speak truth when lies are more convenient (Proverbs 31:8–9; Ephesians 4:25)
Love enemies in a culture that profits from outrage (Matthew 5:44)
Choose mercy over efficiency (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13)

“Whatever you did for the least of these… you did for me.” — Matthew 25:40

The Kingdom Is Near

This kind of obedience will be misunderstood (John 15:18–20). But the church isn’t called to be understood. It’s called to be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1–2).

Jesus walked into no-go zones. He sat with the wrong people. He broke the wrong rules—for the right reasons.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to proclaim liberty to the captives.” — Luke 4:18

Holy disobedience is not a glitch. It’s a sign the kingdom is breaking in
(Matthew 11:5–6).