This whole idea needs deep thinking. 1 Peter 2:13-17:
13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Exactly!
Notice the: "who are sent by him
to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right."Our LORD basically "broke" the sabbath law to save life.. . Saving life is right or good. The blind pharisees did not understand the true sabbath, which is about doing good, living selfless and holy life.
The sabbath law does stop people from doing what is right on that day. Living a selfish life is wrong in GOD's sight... that is basically what the law intend to stop on the holy day of sabbath. And it also good to rest on sabbath day in order to be refreshed
The two foundational laws are:
1. Love God above all things;
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Upon these two laws hang all the law and the prophets.
Depending on the circumstances regarding eating meat or abstaining, any law has to be based on if you are doing it according to the dictates of the two foundational laws.
Therefore, if there is a country law that says that eating meat is illegal, out of love, don't eat meat. The only way breaking that law is right is if breaking the meat law upholds the law of love better than obeying the meat law.
However, if there is not meat law, but the people have official or unofficial tradition against eating meat, still don't eat meat, for the sake of the people, except if eating meat is benefiting the people more... in love.