A new law

Our recent focus on Matthew 5 has given me an appreciation of Jesus’ radical teaching. The scene is the hills of Galilee. Jesus sitting on a mountaintop addresses his flock. A consistent theme in this chapter is that mere legalism in following God’s commands is not enough. One must obey the spirit behind the law. Thus Jesus asks his disciples not just to greet their friends, but also those who are unlike them. He asks them not to just love their friends, but even pray for those who persecute them. Further he enjoins them to bless those who falsely accuse them. On and on Jesus continues to challenge orthodox rabbinical teaching, where they taught that righteousness was based on fulfilling their version of the law.

You can just imagine the Pharisees hearing Jesus’ teaching and seething with anger. Jesus finally says except your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “But how could this be?” A faithful Jewish peasant would ask. After all the Pharisees were the most righteous of all.

Jesus in giving his version of the law evokes a new law. Something only Moses had done hundreds of years earlier. Jesus was essentially saying look I am now effecting a new law. Moses law was good, and yes we should follow it, but a higher law is here now. One who is greater than Moses is now here. This law is one of love, one of the spirit of the law, not just the letter. According to Matthew 22:37-40, the greatest law is loving God and one’s neighbour, thus love is the foundation of the law.

Jesus concludes in verse 48 by saying “be perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect”. We know perfection is impossible, but Jesus refers to completion. If we choose to be like God, and complete His wishes for us, then we need to fully follow his commands by placing our highest priority on loving one another.

Jesus new law for you and I then is not just to be honest, kind, and obedient. But to radically love when it is both convenient and inconvenient. To place ourselves last and others first. To live sacrificial lives whereby our desire is to be more and more like Christ who gave all for sinners. For it is only in doing thus that we will inherit the kingdom of heaven.