The Sermon Continues - Pt 1

[Jesus said] “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. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 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. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–20 ESV).

 

While we have finished the section called “the Beatitudes,” the “sermon” of Jesus continues. We often refer to these three chapters in Matthew’s Gospel as the “Sermon on the Mount.” For the next few days I hope to do a deeper dive into the entirety of this pivotal message Jesus has for all believers. It is a very strong statement about the continuing validity of the Old Testament law.

 

Even with a brief look at this teaching we cannot escape the great difficulty they have presented to many Christian interpreters. Some have felt that they are in contradiction to Jesus’ more liberal attitude to the law attested in Mark’s Gospel (and elsewhere); others have wondered how they can possibly be reconciled with the teaching of Paul, the writer to the Hebrews and others, who suggest that the Christian is at least in some senses freed from the law. However, what is nearly universally accepted is the fact that Jesus rejects the charge that he is a law-breaker who is lowering standards by asserting his endorsement of the Old Testament and by claiming that his standards are actually higher, not lower, than those of the supposedly pious defenders of the law, the scribes and Pharisees.

 

And, that become an introduction to the remainder of His “sermon.” In fact, Jesus will go on to teach that the Scriptures remain eternally valid, and it should challenge us to pursue a deeper, internal righteousness that goes far beyond just outward rule-keeping. This was at the heart of His conflict with the religious leaders of His day. It remains the same with the modern pharisee.

 

The key for us today is to recognize that our outward practice means little if it is not a result of the inward spiritual change brought to us by the work of the Holy Spirit.