Matthew 5:17-20
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. – Matthew 5:17
Click to read passage
We continue our look in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has just gone through some fairly concept-shattering statements in the past few verses; statements that are seemingly contrary to established Jewish laws and beliefs. He first describes what we nowadays call the Beatitudes, with four describing our relationships with God and the next four describing our relationships to our fellow man. He then goes on to describe us as “salt and light” of the world; we are called upon to influence the world around us.
Looking at all this superficially, it may appear that Jesus is out to destroy the existing law and usher in new ones. That, I’m sure, would likely be on at least some of the people’s minds who were listening to him. In verse 17 and the next three verses, Jesus quickly and clearly dispels this thought. He stresses that he has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them (v17). He adds in verse 19 that those who teach others to set aside any commandment would be called least in the kingdom of heaven, while those who practice and teach these commandments would be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
What is Jesus suggesting in saying all this? I believe that Jesus is teaching that the inward motivation of the heart is more important than the outward physical doing of the task. That is why Jesus mentions in verse 20 that our righteousness has to surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, because they emphasised the doing of things and omitted the heart and inward motivation. That is also why the Beatitudes in verses 3-11 stress the attitudes of the heart.
In this regard, therefore, we need to ask ourselves honestly a few questions. Firstly, have I conveniently omitted or downplayed the importance of the Old Testament laws because I believe that in the age of Grace, the Old Testament laws don’t matter anymore? In this passage, Jesus clearly sounds a warning that he has not removed or changed the laws but has fulfilled them. The Ten Commandments still stand. Anyone, therefore, who thinks that he can take sin lightly because forgiveness is freely available, or anyone who is not serious about their faith, is clearly holding an erroneous belief.
Secondly, what is the state of my heart’s motivations? We know from Jeremiah that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9a). We know that God will “search the heart” (Jeremiah 17:10), but given the state of the human heart, we could easily ignore God’s promptings. It would be wise for us to regularly check the motives of our actions, and even better to have people we trust spiritually to countercheck our own checks. Extra efforts to safeguard our hearts and motivations would help us avoid unknowingly deviating towards the wrong path.
Finally, in the book of Romans, Paul explains things a step further. In Romans 13:10, it states that “love is the fulfilling of the law.” Loving God and loving our fellow neighbour is the true, ultimate meaning of the law. The question therefore begs to be asked: Do I love God and my neighbour? Especially the neighbour whom I just can’t stand? Am I willing to do things that, while they inconvenience me, benefit the people around me?
Prayer:
Father, I want to thank you for sending your Son Jesus to the earth to save and teach us. Especially in this passage in Matthew chapter 5, the concepts are not only hard to understand but even harder to put into practice. Forgive us when we fail, and help us all to constantly improve, until the church becomes the body that you take delight in. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Click to read passage
We continue our look in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has just gone through some fairly concept-shattering statements in the past few verses; statements that are seemingly contrary to established Jewish laws and beliefs. He first describes what we nowadays call the Beatitudes, with four describing our relationships with God and the next four describing our relationships to our fellow man. He then goes on to describe us as “salt and light” of the world; we are called upon to influence the world around us.
Looking at all this superficially, it may appear that Jesus is out to destroy the existing law and usher in new ones. That, I’m sure, would likely be on at least some of the people’s minds who were listening to him. In verse 17 and the next three verses, Jesus quickly and clearly dispels this thought. He stresses that he has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them (v17). He adds in verse 19 that those who teach others to set aside any commandment would be called least in the kingdom of heaven, while those who practice and teach these commandments would be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
What is Jesus suggesting in saying all this? I believe that Jesus is teaching that the inward motivation of the heart is more important than the outward physical doing of the task. That is why Jesus mentions in verse 20 that our righteousness has to surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, because they emphasised the doing of things and omitted the heart and inward motivation. That is also why the Beatitudes in verses 3-11 stress the attitudes of the heart.
In this regard, therefore, we need to ask ourselves honestly a few questions. Firstly, have I conveniently omitted or downplayed the importance of the Old Testament laws because I believe that in the age of Grace, the Old Testament laws don’t matter anymore? In this passage, Jesus clearly sounds a warning that he has not removed or changed the laws but has fulfilled them. The Ten Commandments still stand. Anyone, therefore, who thinks that he can take sin lightly because forgiveness is freely available, or anyone who is not serious about their faith, is clearly holding an erroneous belief.
Secondly, what is the state of my heart’s motivations? We know from Jeremiah that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9a). We know that God will “search the heart” (Jeremiah 17:10), but given the state of the human heart, we could easily ignore God’s promptings. It would be wise for us to regularly check the motives of our actions, and even better to have people we trust spiritually to countercheck our own checks. Extra efforts to safeguard our hearts and motivations would help us avoid unknowingly deviating towards the wrong path.
Finally, in the book of Romans, Paul explains things a step further. In Romans 13:10, it states that “love is the fulfilling of the law.” Loving God and loving our fellow neighbour is the true, ultimate meaning of the law. The question therefore begs to be asked: Do I love God and my neighbour? Especially the neighbour whom I just can’t stand? Am I willing to do things that, while they inconvenience me, benefit the people around me?
Prayer:
Father, I want to thank you for sending your Son Jesus to the earth to save and teach us. Especially in this passage in Matthew chapter 5, the concepts are not only hard to understand but even harder to put into practice. Forgive us when we fail, and help us all to constantly improve, until the church becomes the body that you take delight in. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.