It must have been unsettling to have Jesus, who was believed to be the messiah, seemingly undervalue the importance of traditional Jewish law. Although Jesus is always respectful, he teaches that the Law is secondary to love and a willingness to follow him.

Speare incorporates the Law and its accompanying rituals from the very first chapter. When the twins first meet Daniel, Leah prepares to have them wash their hands before they eat. It is not for cleanliness that the ritual is performed but observance to the Law of God, given to Moses, as God had commanded. Although Daniel is well aware of the observant rituals, he is still surprised that “even a scribe’s son would carry water all the way up the mountain just to observe the law.”

Rabbi Hezron, the twins’ father, is a Pharisee, one who strictly observes the Law. He believes that the Law will ultimately deliver Israel from Roman occupation. He says, “When the last Roman emperor has vanished from the earth, the Law will still endure. It is to the Law that our loyalty must be devoted.” He forbids Joel to fraternize with anyone, including Daniel, who would disobey the Law, for to do so would mean prolonged captivity.

However, Jesus radically breaks from the tradition of unwavering obedience to the Law. For example, when a group of women prepare a meal for him, the men who have gathered around the table are horrified when they realize that the ritual hand washing has not been performed. The women are mortified too. The “pride and pleasure” that the woman of the house experienced in serving the master “was wiped out in an instant.” But Jesus reassures them. “Do not be distressed,” he says. “It was not needful. Let us make sure our hearts rather than our hands are worthy to receive this gift.”

For Joel, who is himself training to be a rabbi, the disregard Jesus shows for the Law makes him seriously question Jesus as a leader. When he hears Jesus open wide his kingdom for all who will follow him, regardless of religion, race, or gender, Joel is even more doubtful of Jesus’s divinity. “How can he call those people children of God?” he questioned. “This man is not a true rabbi.”

Jesus’s message, however, is always the same: the Law is important, but it is not ultimately what will bring salvation. Love alone for God offers redemption.