Whoever therefore breaks 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 does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:19 Jesus will fulfill and accomplish the entire Law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17-18). He explained, therefore, that his followers must also keep and practice the commandments included in the Law and the Prophets- even the least of these commandments. No one has the authority to set aside or alter any of Gods laws. Also, teachers have the responsibility to live correctly and to teach correctly so that they do not influence others to break even the smallest law. Jesus was using hyperbole to make a point, most likely, was not referring to triviality of the law for which the Pharisees were contending so critically. In the rabbinic debate, some would distinguish between greater and lesser commandments. Christ does this only for illustration! Because the Law and the Prophets point forward to Jesus and his teaching, people can do and teach the commandments by following Jesus and adhering to his teachings. Those who do so, Jesus explained, will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. This may refer to degrees of rewards in heaven, but it most likely does not mean rewarding of status in heaven. Neither breaking (and/or teaching others to break), nor practicing and teaching even the least of these commandments ultimately determines a persons inclusion in the kingdom of heaven, so Jesus was simply indicating how people who treated the law in those ways would be regarded by God. Those who treated any part of the law as least, and therefore breakable, would themselves be called least and, presumably, be excluded. Jesus explained to his disciples, the men who would be responsible to carry on his message, that they must live carefully and teach carefully, not taking Gods will lightly. Jesus followers must respect and obey even the least commandment if they want to accomplish great things for God. If Jesus did not come to abolish the law, does that mean all the Old Testament laws still apply to us today? Did Jesus mean that Christians today must follow every law recorded in the Old Testament? Not even Jesus stood for law keeping that was void of heartfelt worship (Matthew 5:20). Jesus was emphasizing an attitude of respect toward Gods Word and Gods will. The Old Testament includes three categories of law: Ceremonial, Civil, and Moral 1) The ceremonial law related specifically to Israels worship (Leviticus 1:2-3). Its primary purpose was to point forward to Jesus Christ; these laws, therefore, were no longer necessary after Jesus death and resurrection. While we need not follow all these ceremonial laws, the principles behind them- to worship and love a holy God- still apply. The Pharisees often accused Jesus of violating ceremonial law. 2) The civil law applied to daily living in Israel (Deuteronomy 24:10-11). Because modern society and culture differ so radically from that time and setting, we need not keep all of these guidelines specifically. However, the principles behind the commands are timeless and should guide our conduct. Jesus demonstrated these principles by example. 3) The moral law (such as the Ten Commandments) is the direct command of God; thus, it requires strict obedience (Exodus 20:13). The moral law reveals the nature and will of God, and it still applies today. Jesus obeyed the moral law completely and expects his followers to do the same.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 06:00:00 +0000