Fighting the Norms

I find myself growing increasingly frustrated with American religion. I suppose that listening to a lot of Mark Driscoll will do that. I think it is safe to say that Jesus had a problem with the religion of His day.

Luk 6:1-11 ESV
(1) On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.
(2) But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"
(3) And Jesus answered them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:
(4) how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?"
(5) And he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
(6) On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.
(7) And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him.
(8) But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there.
(9) And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?"
(10) And after looking around at them all he said to him, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored.
(11) But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Pharisees had some very distinctive norms for living. One of the things that you simply did not do was work on the Sabbath. This has some Scriptural support:

Exo 35:2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.

As Lily's Bible says, the Pharisees were very good at being good. Then came along this Jesus who turned their world on its ear. I just keep thinking of all the good Baptists who don't know Jesus, but think that they are OK because they don't play cards or drink alcohol. I of course am not saying that you should drink alcohol, but it shouldn't be considered a means to salvation.