My focus today is on Matthew 5:13-20, with emphasis on verses 17 & 19: “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. Therefore whoever relaxes
one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will
be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches
them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I
rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”[1]
Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we
listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply
as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
My iPhone contains my contacts, email accounts, podcasts, apps, pictures
of Emma Jade, and my playlist of running songs. The song that inspires me to
sprint the last half-mile of my five-mile run is John Mellencamp’s “Authority
Song,” which he dubbed "our new version of 'I Fought The Law.'"[2]
“I Fought The Law,” composed in 1959, is about a guy jailed after a
robbery spree. The phrase "I fought the law" remained in our American
lexicon ever since.[3]
Americans love figures that fight the law, even if they do not always win.
Characters like Cool Hand Luke and Don Corleone, and movies like Star Wars and
Hunger Games ka’ching Hollywood. But as much as we admire their heroics, as
Christians, we need the law. We reject the view that Christians are free of all
moral law,[4]
and recognize the triple use of the Law: curb, mirror and rule.[5]
Playlists and pop culture aside, we focus today on Jesus, the Law and the
Prophets; how the first disciples saw the Law and Prophets through Christ; and
finally, what the texts teach us about Christian living in the world today.
When Matthew recorded Jesus’ words – “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. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great
in the kingdom of heaven.” – he contrasted how the scribes
and Pharisees interpreted God’s Law with its true authoritative meaning, which
Jesus himself proclaimed.[6]
In verses 21-48, Jesus clarified how God intended people to live the
Commandments. He spoke forcefully about murder and anger, marriage vows and
public oaths, retaliation and love of enemies. He did not abolish any of the
commandments, but contrasted his teaching of God’s Law with other teachers within
Judaism – the scribes and the Pharisees – who relaxed the least of these
commandments and taught others to do likewise, especially when it benefitted
them. Later Jesus would condemn his hypocritical opponents because “they preach,
but do not practice.”[7]
Clearly, Jesus did not abolish the Commandments. So, what did He mean
when He said He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets?
To fulfill means to bring to realization, as a prophecy or promise.[8]
The general thrust of Matthew was to establish, on behalf of 1st
century Jews, that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah of the Scriptures.
Matthew listed dozens of Old Testament references. Nine times, he used the
expression, “it is written,” to express authority and truth. Twelve times, he cited
Old Testament prophecy together with the term fulfill.[9]
Why was it imperative for Matthew to demonstrate that Jesus fulfilled Scripture?
To answer that, picture yourself as an observant Jew 2,000 years ago. For you,
Mosaic Law ruled life. Mosaic Law was the “canon within the canon” or the rule
of rules. Mosaic Law determined everything else in Scripture. The prophets were
the protectors and authorized interpreters of Mosaic Law.
Matthew upended that view by proposing two arguments. First, he proposed
that the prophets were the rule of rules or the “canon within the canon.” You
were to live according to how the prophets interpreted Law. Second, while the
prophets looked back to the Law to interpret it for their day, their primary
role was to point forward to the Messiah. Once the Messiah came, their central
position in the life of the people of God was taken over by the Fulfiller of
the prophets, Jesus Christ. He fulfilled their prophetic promises and He
fulfilled the Law.
Jesus Christ fulfilled their prophetic promises and He fulfilled the Law.
Now, let us explore how the disciples saw the Law and Prophets through Christ.
… Instead of asking, what is the relation of this Jesus to our Mosaic Law,
which stands at the center of our faith, 1st century Christians,
like Matthew, started asking, what is the relation of Mosaic Law to Jesus
Christ, who stands at the center of our faith?
Let’s face it; although the first disciples were Jews, they saw Jesus –
not the Law or the Prophets – as their focus and prism. They were not without
Law, but accepted the teaching of the Law from the Messiah who fulfilled the
Law and Prophets. 1st century Jewish and Gentile Christians accepted
Matthew’s conclusion that Christ commanded Apostles: Teach people “to observe
all that I have commanded you.”[10]
Having witnessed the Risen Lord, it was if the Apostles said, “It is not
our option to teach anything contrary to Christ’s teaching, even the least of
the commandments.”
In the 1st century, doing and teaching the least
of God’s commands were the priority and goal for all disciples. While Christians
were not obliged to follow all 613 laws of the Torah, nor accept the
interpretation of scribes or rabbis, having now received the gift of salvation
and entry into the Kingdom of God through baptism, they were expected to
respond with more than the minimum.
Think of it, when you experience the free gift of love, are
you completely satisfied by doing as little as possible for that person? Matthew
expected more than the minimum from saved Christians. He did not accept
lukewarm parents who told their children that they did not have to go to church
after they were confirmed.
Matthew expected Christians to grapple with the same issues the
people of God faced 700 years before them (and perhaps the same ones we face
today). Imagine early Christians discussing their daily devotions with members
of their small group. They share their thoughts of fasting as written in Isaiah
58. Through the lens of the Risen Christ, they ponder its meaning and why, when
the economy went south, the empowered who delighted in seeking God in their comfortable homes,
oppressed workers as beasts of burden, and shared neither food nor shelter with
the hungry or the homeless (even though they had stocked up on milk and bread
to last the winter).
Empowered by the Risen Christ, Matthew’s Christians fed the
hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, offered hospitality to the homeless, cared
for the sick, and visited the imprisoned. They performed acts of mercy because,
like the prophets, they looked forward – to the Day of Judgment when the Lord
would return.
Matthew’s Christians were not lukewarm, like scribes and
Pharisees. They were heroes in Kingdom of Heaven because they taught what
Christ taught, and did what He commanded. They fasted to feed the hungry, slept
on the floor to shelter the homeless, and joyfully embraced the Gospel and its
demanding sacrifices. Doing and teaching the least of God’s commands – the
priority and goal for all disciples.
When the priorities of life are doing and teaching the least
of God’s commands, I am salt and light to the world. Unfortunately, fewer
people choose to be salt and light. Today, 15% of Americans claim “none” as
their religion, double what it was 20 years ago. For 22%, religion is not a
factor in their lives.[11] We are – as President
Obama accurately described us – a nation of “Christians and Muslims, Jews and
Hindus – and non-believers.” Bright, moral, self-reliant, freethinking
non-believers whom I will probably never move by my personal witness of the
Gospel. But, that should not prevent me from being salt and light, from
striving to be a hero in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Over the next week, as I have time reflect because it’s freezing outside,
and there are no Oklahomans on the Winter Olympic Team, I have time to ask myself
some questions about Christian living in the world today.
Does my faith enhance other people’s lives as salt enhances food? In
other words, when did I last share with an unchurched or non-Christian person
what the Living Christ did for me? Or, is my faith story as appetizing as
soiled salt?
Does my life offer the light of the Gospel to people in darkness? When
did I last talk to someone experiencing a crisis how God’s grace moved me
through the darkest moments of my life?
Do I spend enough time with God so that He will reveal new insights about
my life? Or am I too busy? Finally, over the last month, did anyone see my good
works and give glory to our Father in Heaven?
The opportunities before me are boundless. I may never prompt change in
the heart of an unbeliever, but I can start close to home. If I desire to be
salt for the world, I can start with the people in my family and add what is
missing in their lives.
I can ask my children or grandchildren which of their friends is
experiencing darkness now and bring them the Light of Christ.
Friends, I want you to do 3 things this week. First, prayerfully study
the Sermon on the Mount. God will speak to your heart. Second, ask the Holy
Spirit to accompany you when you leave home so someone will see how you love Christ
and glorify your Heavenly Father. Finally, since Friday is Valentine’s
Day, “Make someone happy. Make just one someone happy. And you will be happy
too.[12]
And when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7). Amen.
