Amanda Knox and Legalism

Like many Americans and Europeans, I have been watching the Amanda Knox case from afar with interest. For those who have not, Amanda Knox was a college student studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, when one of her three roommates was murdered; she was charged with the crime (along with her boyfriend, a drifter, and a bar owner) and convicted around 6pm eastern time yesterday (midnight in Perugia).

To understand the background of the case, Perugia has a large cohort of foreign (many of these American) students whom study there for a semester or year. The economy is heavily reliant on these students, but, like almost all college students, nightlife is a big part of the experience. The residents in Perugia seemingly resent the students way of life - Amanda Knox was no exception.

Let me just say three things. Amanda Knox was supported by her native Washington family the entire time; they are completely broke now, but they showed amazing support (parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, etc) for the entire two-year period in which she was held. Second, there was not one piece of forensic evidence against Amanda Knox. Zero. Thirdly, I was talking with a Boston University professor friend of mine today, and he made the interesting point that the State Department will probably get more involved, and ensure that Amanda Knox will be freed during one of her appeals in the Italian courts. This way, Italy doesn't demonstrably concede their justice system is corrupt, and the Obama administration can save face a bit, as the general consensus to this point is they have done nothing to stop this gross injustice. Let's hope so. But this is all speculative and peripheral to my point.

As Amanda Knox was leaving the courtyard after the guilty verdict, hundreds of Perugians - joining what I'm sure to be millions of others across the globe- could be seen cheering outside, glad to see the debaucheror sentenced to rot in a foreign jail.

Like those whom picket in front of Planned Parenthood (for the record, I am 100% pro-life), and roll up their window in disgust as the homeless beg for change, the message from these folks is clear - You are a bad person, and you - not I - deserve punishment and judgement.

In theology, we call this legalism. Legalism is trying to "work" your way to heaven in some part; it goes hand-in-hand with thinking you can be morally better-off than someone else. I don't have mixed feelings, or wake up confused about, or even dislike, legalism. I hate legalism.

From His words, I suspect Jesus hates legalism too.

Jesus didn't reserve harsh words for Herod or Judas or the Jews calling for His blood (or getting His blood). He used his harsh words for the legalists:

"They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are." (Matthew 5)

This world is full of legalists. They are lining the streets of Perugia as we speak, and will be waiting in line for church tomorrow. In every sense, in and out of religion, "they tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." Matthew later records Jesus putting it a different way: they point out the speck of dust in your eye, but they refuse to remove the plank of wood in theirs (Matthew 7). They say "I may not be perfect but look at her". They stand up and exclaim, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector!". (Luke 18:11). They say "look at me, I have a job and a family and I try to do the right thing every day, but they..." They say "she was a flirt and a slut and she deserves jail."

This is legalism. It is as rampant as humanism right now, but it's much worse. Where humanism denies the need for the Gospel, legalism takes the Gospel and hides it in the depths of the earth, and then masquerades as the Gospel.

Legalism is always artificial, ignorant, and a sure sign of non-regeneration. It is antitruth, antilove and antiChrist.

There is one alternative to legalism.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30.)