Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill

 

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:17-20 

 

We are currently reading through Christ's Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught:  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are a light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Now do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." 

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  My study Bible explains that Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself, in His words, and in His actions by, first of all, performing God's will in all its fullness (Matthew 3:15); second, transgressing none of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46, 14:30); third, declaring the perfect fulfillment of the Law, which He is about to deliver to them; and finally, granting righteousness -- which is the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31, 8:3-4, 10:4).  Christ fulfills the Prophets by both being and carrying out what they experienced in visions of Christ and His mission given from God.  

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."  Assuredly (in the Greek, ἀμὴν/amen)means "truly," or "confirmed," or "so be it."  This word is used here (and elsewhere in the Gospels) as a solemn affirmation, a form of oath.  My study Bible explains that Christ's use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations (rather than at the end) is unique and authoritative.  In effect, He declares His words affirmed before they are spoken.  A jot (ἰῶτα/iota) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet; a tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  Therefore, the whole of the Law is affirmed as the foundation of Christ's new teaching.  All is fulfilled refers to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ (John 19:30), the fullness of His ministry and mission.

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible says that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  The observance of all the least commandments is to observe the whole Law, while the violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.  

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  Righteousness that leads to salvation must exceed that of the Pharisees because theirs was an outward, works-based righteousness.  My study Bible notes that the righteousness of salvation is the communion of the heart, soul, mind, and body in Jesus Christ. 

Jesus teaches, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  Let us consider what it means to "fulfill."  In Greek this verb is πληρόω/plero).  We encounter another form of this same Greek word in the liturgical holy hymn based on Isaiah's vision of the heavenly hymn of angels and archangels to God (Isaiah 6:3), "Heaven and earth are full of your glory" (my italics).  When we echo these words we might notice that Isaiah wrote of the whole earth being filled with God's glory; but we sing "heaven and earth" precisely because of what Jesus teaches here.  The fullness of His work and mission as Jesus Christ included His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension; and we understand that fullness to include His words, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).   Christ's next words after this declaration to His disciples also tie with today's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, and complete Matthew's Gospel:  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age"  (Matthew 28:19-20).   At the fulfillment of which Christ speaks; that is, His Passion and Resurrection and Ascension, there is this new "fullness" announced, and a new command and new covenant.  The fullness of God's glory in the earth will be fulfilled through the ongoing mission of the Church announced at the end of this Gospel by Christ:  that His followers go out to world with these teachings, given in all of the Gospels, but perhaps most fully expressed in this particular Sermon we're reading, the Sermon on the Mount.  The things Christ is teaching us therefore relate to fulfillment in a most special and specific way:  He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, all the things given to Israel by the God of Israel.  But He is also, in the fullness of His saving mission, giving a new covenant, a new declaration, and a new fullness for the world, and that is the realization of His teachings through the lives of His followers, through our own loyalty and participation in His life, which is also to spread His "light and salt"  into the world (see yesterday's reading, above).  We achieve this both through following His commandments and teachings ourselves, and sharing them with others.  In John's Gospel, Jesus is asked by the people, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  And He replies, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:28-29).  The fullness of Christ's mission, and the new teaching that He gives to us, is a question of faith:  of hearing and doing His commands, an ongoing life in which we grow closer to Him, participating in His life through prayer and worship, but living our faith -- bringing His light into the world and more deeply into ourselves.  This is the new "fullness" and the ongoing work of "fullness" -- even as all authority in heaven and earth are His.  In this sense, His mission will be fulfilled, as He announces, in us -- in those who hear and do, who love Him and live the life that faith in Him asks of us.  For faith comes down to what and Whom we love and trust, which translates into the way we live.   This is the righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven.

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 5:17-20

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  My study bible comments here that Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself, in His words, and in His actions.  This happens when He performs God's will in all its fullness (3:15), as He transgresses none of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46, 14:30), He declares the perfect fulfillment of the Law which He was about to deliver to them, and finally by granting righteousness -- which is the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31, 8:3-4, 10:4).  Jesus fulfills the Prophets by both being and carrying out the very things that they foretold.

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."  In Greek, what Jesus says here (translated as assuredly) is "Amen."   My study bible defines "amen" as meaning "truly" or "confirmed" or "so be it."  Here, Jesus uses it as a solemn affirmation, a type of an oath.  His use of this word at the beginning of various proclamations (as opposed to at the end) is both unique and authoritative according to my study bible.  Jesus declares, in effect, His words affirmed before they are even spoken.  A jot (in Greek, iota) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet (equivalent to letter "i").  A tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  Therefore the whole of the Law is affirmed as the foundation of Jesus' new teaching.  All is fulfilled refers to the fullness of Christ's Passion and Resurrection.

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."   My study bible comments that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  That is, the observance of all the least commandments is to observe the whole Law.  At the same time, the violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."   My study bible says that righteousness that leads to salvation has to exceed that of the Pharisees, as theirs was an outward, and works-based righteousness.   The righteousness of salvation, it says, is the communion of heart, soul, mind, and body in Jesus Christ.

There is a fullness in Christ that calls us to wholeness.  That is, to a perspective of wholeness in terms of our entire lives.  This wholeness seems to extend, also, in many directions and is not a simple understanding.  For example, Jesus talks about the fullness or wholeness of the Law, saying that not a jot or tittle is left out.  Elsewhere He will say that "he who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much" (after telling the parable of the Unjust Steward; see Luke 16:1-13).   In the final verse of the same passage, He remarks that, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."  Thus, He gives another aspect of what it means that the righteousness He teaches is one of wholeness in which nothing is left out:  our hearts are serving one thing or another.  There is no exemption.  We must make a choice:  either we're "all in" for God or else we're not.  A partial righteousness isn't really righteousness; God calls us to fullness.  In this sense of a righteous life, it isn't as if we add up all our little discrepancies on one side and our fidelities on the other, and the biggest total wins.  It's more like our heart -- the center of ourselves -- is either with God or not.  Somehow there is something we love and prize above all else, and that guides our lives.  The message seems to be that it is not as if there are a few things that count and the rest doesn't or is unimportant.  It's all important.  It all matters.  And that's where we start.  While we will all make mistakes, the fullness of the life Christ teaches us about is a way of life through participation in Him, or rather in the life He offers us.    We love or we do not love, we seek that communion or we don't.  Each of the beatitudes or blessings of the Kingdom which Jesus taught at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount is important (see this reading), and He is still referring to these things which make His disciples "salt" and "light" for the world (see yesterday's reading, above).   We might prize being a peacemaker but leave out the part about meekness, accepting life on the terms we need to and bringing it all before Christ to find a righteous way through.  We might think that to be poor in spirit or to fully depend upon God is a worthy goal, but how do we actually do that if we decide we can leave out being merciful as part of our way of life?  It is in this kind of fullness that we really see the whole meaning of redemption and salvation, that it is for all the fullness of what it means to be you or me with nothing held back or left out.  Because if I leave out a piece of my heart, there is no telling where that little piece of exception will lead the rest of me, nor how it affects my thinking in all other dimensions.  I can't really tell, moreover, what I might be missing about the bigger things when I'm allowing myself to be distracted and pulled away by the littler things I think don't really count.  Jesus is telling us that His righteousness is all of a whole, just as our lives aren't fragmented into little pieces but are all a part of us, who we are.  And it is in the fullness of identity that we really find true discipleship, because in our communion with Christ is where we find who we truly are.  If our focus is only partial, we're dividing ourselves into fragments and pieces; the entire practice of discipleship, on the contrary, is meant to pull us all together in one place with one focus and all under the umbrella of Christ and where He places us.  Let us note also the focus on teaching that is brought up in today's passage.  Jesus says, "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  Just as in speaking about believers as salt and light in yesterday's reading (above), Jesus is very conscious of speaking to His disciples as those who will set an example, who will not only be the nominal leaders of His Church, but also the faithful who mirror His righteousness so that everyone learns and understands from them.  If I sit at table as an upright person who brings honor to a community, but steal one of the spoons when I think no one is looking, then the little child to whom I pay no attention but watches what I do is going to learn precisely what from my example?  On the other hand, if I show mercy under the same circumstance, when I think no one is looking, and the child I'm not paying attention to observes that, what do you think that child learns about righteousness from me?  Each act will make an unforgettable impression, as each of us no doubt has had similar experiences.  Each acts speaks to the fullness of an attitude toward righteousness, either deprecating or elevating its importance in our esteem.  Let us consider, then, Jesus' words for today.  Is there some little corner of life that has been let slide because of its seeming unimportance?  This isn't about following rules so much as it is bringing everything to a prayerful presence in our communion with Christ.  We aren't being called toward a kind of obsessive-compulsive or overly scrupulous practice of our faith.  Rather, we're called to this wholeness, a life in which we bring our whole hearts to God for all things and grow and learn through time in that dependence.  Let us live this prayerful life aware of God's presence and tender mercies with us through all things.

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 5:17-20

 We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount, which began with Monday's reading.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself, in His words, and in His actions, my study bible tells us.  He does so by first of all, performing God's will in all its fullness (3:15); secondly, transgressing none of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46, 14:30); by declaring the perfect fulfillment of the Law, which He is about to deliver to those He addresses; and finally, by granting righteousness -- which is the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31, 8:3-4, 10:4). 

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."  It is the word amen/ἀμήν (Greek borrowed from Hebrew) which is translated here as assuredly.  It means "truly" or "confirmed" or "so be it."  Jesus uses it as a kind of oath or a solemn affirmation of truth.  My study bible calls Jesus use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations (rather than at the end) unique and authoritative.  He's declaring His words to be affirmed even before they're spoken.  It is a way of telling us to pay special attention to what He's about to declare.  A jot (iota in the Greek) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet.  A tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  Therefore, Jesus says that the whole of the Law is affirmed as the foundation of His new teaching.  All is fulfilled, my study bible says, refers to Christ's Passion and Resurrection.

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  Righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  In that sense, the observance of all the least commandments means to observe the whole Law, while the violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.

Jesus is leading us to a fuller, more whole sense of the Law, which He will subsequently extend to an internal awareness of what righteousness is.  Thus, He will give us a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  Here, He reassures His disciples that He is not breaking away from Jewish spiritual history but rather comes in fulfillment of the same.  The Law is not something He will do away with but rather will fulfill.  The Prophets also are fulfilled in Him.  As Christians and believers in Christ, it is our tradition that He, as Son, is the Lord of the Old Testament.  He is, in this divine sense, the giver of the Law.  As Incarnate human being, He is the fulfillment of the Law.  It is He who told Moses "I AM" (Exodus 3:14), just as Jesus will echo these words to the leadership in John's Gospel with another "amen" statement like that in today's reading  ("Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" - John 8:58).   Therefore as the Word Incarnate it is entirely appropriate that Jesus fulfill all righteousness (3:15).  In today's part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has just given the Beatitudes, or the blessedness of the Kingdom, and He is beginning to address the Law as it is understood and practiced.  He is leading into what it is to live a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.  What we know as good and true remains good and true.  But Christ has come to reveal a deeper truth, to fulfill, to give us a righteousness that exceeds what we know, to illuminate what is there but hidden until it is time to reveal it.  The early Christians who would turn from various pagan religions would find their own truth, goodness, and beauty fulfilled in Christ in a similar fashion.  As Logos, Christ is the Person who is Truth; thereby what was true and good and beautiful remained so, but in service to the teachings of Christ.  Greek philosophy was rendered in service to the Church, and thereby gave us theology.  Even the very word Logos became fleshed out, more deeply understood by the revelation of Christ -- as would other words known to the Greek philosophers but transformed through Christian faith.  None of this is accidental nor fanciful. The Truth comes into the world in the flesh to more fully flesh out and reveal deeper realities hidden to us in the truths already revealed, if we can but grasp hold of that.  Let us consider the depth to which He is leading and leads us, even in our very lives and prayers in the here and now, as we follow on the path of His faith.

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill

 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 5:17-20

 We have been reading chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel, which begins the Sermon on the Mount.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself and in His words, and in His actions.  My study bible explains that this happens through His performing God's will in all its fullness (3:15); by transgressing none of the precepts of the Law (John 8:46, 14:30); in declaring the perfect fulfillment of the Law, which He is about to deliver in this Sermon; and by granting righteousness -- the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31, 8:3-4, 10:4).  Christ fulfills the Prophets by both being and carrying out what they foretold.

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."  In the original Greek, assuredly is "amen/αμην."  It means "truly," or "confirmed," or "so be it."  It is used by Jesus as a solemn affirmation, a type of an oath.  His use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations (as opposed to at the end) is both unique and authoritative.  He declares that His words are affirmed even before they are spoken.  A jot (iota/ιωτα in the Greek) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet.  A tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  So Jesus is affirming the whole of the Law as the foundation of His teaching.  My study bible adds that all is fulfilled refers to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  My study bible tells us that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  The observance of all the least commandments is to observe the whole Law -- and the violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  Righteousness that leads to salvation must exceed that of the Pharisees because of their emphasis on outward or works-based righteousness.  Here Jesus returns to His theme:  the kingdom of heaven and what it is like.  The righteousness of salvation, my study bible says, is the communion of the heart, soul, mind, and body in Jesus Christ.

So what is the kingdom of heaven like?  How do we enter it? What does it have to do with the Law and the Prophets?  Jesus speaks of Himself as One who has not come to build, or extend, or to reform, but rather to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.  Fulfillment is related to concepts of the "end," in the sense that the fullness of something is its absolute, its totality, its ultimate end point or full flowering.  In this case, the Law and the Prophets are entirely related to the concepts of the living kingdom of heaven that Jesus brings and preaches.  All of the blessings given in the Beatitudes, the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, are about the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, the fullness of not just a way of life but also the presence of a spiritual reality, a kingdom in which we dwell and which dwells also in us.  It is the fulfillment of the promise of all that has come before in Jewish spiritual history.  What we ought to bear in mind is that Christ, as Truth, brings a kingdom with Him, spiritual in nature, one in which we "live and move and have our being," which St. Paul says in Acts 17 (verse 28).  In fact, we would do well to read the full passage of St. Paul's preaching to the Athenians (vv. 16-34).  In order to understand that while salvation is of the Jews, and Jewish spiritual history gives us preparation for the Messiah, the Christ, we may also take the message from Paul's preaching that as Truth, He is also the fulfillment of the good and true and beautiful that has come before in the Hellenistic world.  The ancients saw Christianity in this way when they chose to build churches where temples to pagan gods stood, as fulfillment.  It seems to me that we must continue to understand Christ this way, as fulfillment, as the Alpha and Omega.  What we know in our lives as true can only be further extended, developed, and fulfilled in Christ, made more fully manifest, opening our eyes to new things we had not anticipated but are nevertheless also true and good and beautiful.  The kingdom of heaven is a living reality, both within us and among us, as the Greek implies in Luke 17:20-21.  Its reality, and its flowering, are contained in those blessings that Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes, things that not only make our lives full of true substance and beauty and goodness, but also continue to build fruit in the world and in us as we live and bloom and produce fruit in His grace.  To do so is to live a life of true repentance, a change that fulfills and manifests through our growth in what He brings to us as persons who seek His righteousness.  How do you dwell in that Kingdom?  How does it live in you?  How is His fulfillment always and continually at work in your life and your world?