JESUS AND THE LAW.
Matthew 5:17-26.
MATTHEW 5:17. Jesus’ statement is emphatic: - “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
The righteousness of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the end of the law, the one to whom the law points and who fulfils the law within Himself (cf. Romans 10:4).
By saying this, He is not abrogating the Old Testament: for it was to these writings that he turned in His recent wilderness struggles with the devil (cf. Matthew 4:4-10).
MATTHEW 5:18. He continues: - “Till heaven and earth pass away,” not one iota, not one dot “shall pass from the law, till all is fulfilled.”
What we have already learned about God in the Old Testament still stands, but comes to greater clarity in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The types and prophecies reach their fulfilment in Him. Thus He says (in case we missed it), “I am come” (cf. Matthew 5:17)!
He was ‘born under the law’ (cf. Galatians 4:4), perfectly kept the law (cf. Hebrews 4:15), and thereby ‘fulfilled all righteousness’ (cf. Matthew 3:15).
MATTHEW 5:19. Jesus’ attitude to the law is summed up in His instruction to His disciples. We are saved by grace, yes - but we are not free to disobey what God commands. Yet there are those, even in the church, who do just that - and teach others so.
MATTHEW 5:20. Indeed, the disciples are warned that their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. This too is emphatic. Mere outward conformity will never suffice (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22).
Elsewhere, Jesus instructs His followers to obey the scribes and Pharisees, for they sit in Moses’ seat - but do not to do as they do (cf. Matthew 23:2-3)! The law still has status in the Christian life - not indeed as a means of salvation, for that it never could be. The difference for us is that we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (cf. Ezekiel 36:27) - and thereby the law is now ‘written upon our hearts’ (cf. Jeremiah 31:33).
MATTHEW 5:21. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus introduces the formula, “Ye have heard that it was said… But I say unto you.” The first example of Jesus’ use of this formula comes from the ten commandments. It is the universal law against murder. But the scribes were limiting even this when they spoke only of physical murder and earthly judiciaries.
MATTHEW 5:22. Jesus widens this out to embrace unjust anger - which cannot be tried in an earthly court of law, but is known in heaven (cf. 1 John 3:15). This traces the roots of murder to its origin in evil thoughts, then its expression in words unadvisedly spoken. All this is known to God, and will be judged by Him.
‘Raca’ (Aramaic) derides a man’s intelligence, calling him empty-headed. This could be dealt with by the council, much as in our civil cases whereby one party accuses another of slander. The Greek word translated ‘fool’ is meant here in a religious sense, whereby the self-righteous accuse people of being fit only for hell-fire - and thereby seal their own fate in the court of heaven!
MATTHEW 5:23-26. Two test cases follow. One concerns a Christian “brother” (Matthew 5:23-24), the other an “adversary” (Matthew 5:25-26). One falls into the context of worship, the other is a civil case in a court of law.
MATTHEW 5:23-24. The context of the first of these obviously refers to worship in the Temple in Jerusalem: there is reference to an “altar” (Matthew 5:23), and therefore a sacrifice. We can update this to our own situation by way of reference to the ‘sacrifice of praise’ in Christian worship (cf. Hebrews 13:15). How can we truly worship God while we harbour unresolved sin in our lives?
If you are on the way to worship and suddenly remember that someone has something against you, it is vitally important that you seek to be reconciled to that person. Unresolved issues of this nature fester away, and will go from bad to worse!
Incidentally, it is not ‘if you have something against your brother’ but “if your brother has anything against you” (Matthew 5:23). It is you who is at fault. This is not about accusing your brother, which is to do the devil’s work for him (cf. Revelation 12:10) - but confessing to your brother (cf. James 5:16), and thereby seeking peace and reconciliation (Matthew 5:24).
MATTHEW 5:25-26. The second test case concerns an “adversary.” It has something to do with debt, and is best resolved out-of-court. Come to an agreement, or things will get worse!
