Jesus starts his sermon with nine blessed statements that were, to say the least, radical to those who were listening. They still are even today. We just can’t grasp how it can possibly be a blessing to be poor, or to mourn, or to be persecuted. Jesus doesn’t really expound. He simply gives these nine statements as fact. He then tells His listeners to be salt and light and to let that light shine. Maybe some people thought, “That sounds like a good idea. Exactly how should we do that?” He’s about to explain, but before he does, He has to clear up some confusion.
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-19
It’s nothing new that in modern Christianity, there are those who want to emphasize the New Testament over the Old Testament. They would argue that since Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, the first 39 books of the Bible have no real significance for a New Testament believer. Generally, this person would lean to the “liberality” camp on the battlefield. All those “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” do not apply to disciples living in the 21st century.
On the other side, those in the “legalistic” camp point out, and correctly so, that since heaven and earth have not passed away, the Law still has a purpose in God’s plan. Often their emphasis is on keeping the letter of the law. They actually find it difficult to function without a list of “dos” and “don’ts” and they may even question the genuine salvation of anyone who doesn’t live by their list. But according to Jesus, what both sides have to ask is, “Does my righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees?”
Why the chasm between these two schools of thought? How can thoughtful and educated one anothers read the same passage and come away with two very different premises? I dare not claim to have a definitive answer to these questions, but I would like to present a possibility and let you put it before God and His Word.
Is it possible that we take one position or the other because we are intimidated by the rest of Matthew 5? Is Jesus just asking too much of us, so we decide to practice selective reading? I believe it is much easier for humans to lean to extremes than it is to stand in the middle of a battlefield that challenges everything we consider to be natural human thinking and behavior.
Stay with me here and open your Bible to Matthew 5:21-47.
In this amazing sermon, Jesus continues to challenge the conventional teaching of that day and, I might add, of our day. Six times the Master Teacher states, “You have heard…” Each time, He completes the sentence with a quote from the Old Testament. Each of these statements is then followed with five words that should jolt us awake every time we read them: “But I say to you…”
Wait a minute! Is Jesus nullifying the Old Testament Scriptures? No. He can’t. Jesus, as God, cannot contradict Himself. He just proclaimed that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them. With these six examples, Jesus is correcting man’s faulty thinking and inaccurate practice of God’s laws and commandments. He is explaining how He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament and what that means for His followers. He is telling His listeners, then and now, how to truly submit to and obey God’s commandments.
What does any of this have to with not leaning and fighting the real enemy? Let’s investigate the last of the six examples Jesus uses and find out.
Discussion
Satan is the father of lies and suggestions. What types of lies and suggestions does he use to keep woman from the middle of the battlefield and from loving one another?
One Another Living 