JESUS FULFILLS THE LAW BY EMBODYING IT IN HIS OWN LIFE
Matthew 5:17-18; Matthew 23:23
Rev. Paul Wrightman 9/4/22
OUR TEXT IS A CHALLENGING ONE.
MOST OF US, AS CHRISTIANS, HAVE BEEN TAUGHT
THAT JESUS DID, INDEED, COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW,
AND IT COMES AS SOMETHING OF A SHOCK TO HEAR
JESUS HIMSELF SAY JUST THE OPPOSITE --
THAT HE HAS COME NOT TO ABOLISH THE LAW,
BUT TO FULFILL IT.
SINCE JESUS WAS JEWISH HIMSELF AND WAS SPEAKING
TO AN OVERWHELMINGLY JEWISH AUDIENCE,
OUR FIRST LINE OF INQUIRY MUST BE TO ASK THE QUESTION
WHAT DID JEWISH PEOPLE THEMSELVES MEAN
WHEN THEY USED THE PHRASE “THE LAW?”
THEY MEANT FOUR DIFFERENT THINGS:
ONE: THE USED THIS PHRASE TO MEAN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
TWO: THEY USED IT TO MEAN THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE,
WHICH FOR THEM WAS BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT
PART OF SCRIPTURE.
THEY CALLED THESE FIRST FIVE BOOKS THE TORAH,
WHICH MEANS THE WAY OF LIFE.
THREE: THEY USED THE PHRASE “THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS”
TO MEAN THE WHOLE OF THEIR BIBLE,
WHAT WE WOULD CALL THE WHOLE OLD TESTAMENT.
FOUR: THEY USED THIS PHRASE TO MEAN
THE ORAL OR THE SCRIBAL LAW.
WHEN WE HEAR THE PHRASE “THE LAW,” WE TEND
TO THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF THE FIRST THREE MEANINGS:
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE,
OR THE OLD TESTAMENT AS A WHOLE.
BUT IN THE TIME OF JESUS, IT WAS THE FOURTH,
OR LAST MENTIONED MEANING WHICH WAS BY FAR
THE MOST COMMON.
AND IT WAS THE ORAL, OR SCRIBAL LAW
WHICH JESUS RELENTLESSLY CRITICIZED.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ITSELF, WITH THE EXCEPTION
OF THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS, WE FIND RELATIVELY FEW
RULES AND REGULATIONS.
WHAT WE DO FIND ARE GREAT, BROAD PRINCIPLES
WHICH PEOPLE MUST TAKE AND INTERPRET FOR THEMSELVES
UNDER GOD’S GUIDANCE, AND APPLY
TO THE VARIOUS SITUATIONS OF LIFE.
IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, WE FIND
THAT EACH ONE IS A GREAT PRINCIPLE
OUT OF WHICH PEOPLE MUST FIND THEIR OWN
RULES FOR LIFE.
TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF JESUS’ DAY,
THESE OVERARCHING PRINCIPLES WERE NOT ENOUGH.
THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES HELD THAT THE LAW WAS DIVINE,
THAT IN IT GOD HAD SAID HIS LAST AND FINAL WORD,
AND THAT THEREFORE EVERYTHING MUST BE IN IT.
THEY REASONED THAT IF A THING WAS NOT IN THE LAW EXPLICITLY,
THEN IT MUST BE THERE IMPLICITLY.
THUS, THEY ARGUED THAT OUT OF THE WRITTEN LAW
IT MUST BE POSSIBLE TO DEDUCE A REGULATION
FOR EVERY POSSIBLE SITUATION IN LIFE.
SO THERE AROSE A GROUP OF MEN CALLED SCRIBES
WHO MADE IT THE BUSINESS OF THEIR LIVES
TO EXPAND THE FEW GREAT PRINCIPLES OF THE LAW
INTO THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF SPECIFIC
RULES AND REGULATIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
LAYS IT DOWN THAT THE SABBATH DAY IS TO BE KEPT HOLY,
AND THAT ON IT NO WORK IS TO BE DONE.
THIS IS AN OVERARCHING PRINCIPLE.
BUT THE LEGALISTIC BRANCH OF JUDAISM –
AND IT NEEDS TO BE NOTED THAT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES,
WHO WERE THE LEGALISTIC BRANCH OF JUDAISM
DURING THE TIME OF JESUS –
WERE A TINY MINORITY OF THE JEWISH POPULATION
IN TERMS OF NUMBERS –
BUT A STRONG MAJORITY IN TERMS OF THE OFFICAL
THEOLOGICAL WEIGHT THEY CARRIED –
THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES HAD A PASSION FOR DEFINITION,
SO THEY ASKED THE QUESTION “WHAT IS WORK?”
THEY THEN WENT ON TO ANSWER THEIR OWN QUESTION
BY CLASSIFYING ALL KINDS OF THINGS AS WORK.
FOR INSTANCE, “TO CARRY A BURDEN” ON THE SABBATH DAY
IS TO WORK.
BUT NEXT A “BURDEN” HAS TO BE DEFINED.
SO THE SCRIBAL LAW LAYS IT DOWN THAT A “BURDEN” IS
“FOOD EQUAL IN WEIGHT TO A DRIED FIG,
ENOUGH WINE FOR MIXING IN A GOBLET,
MILK ENOUGH FOR ONE TO SWALLOW,
HONEY ENOUGH TO PUT UPON A WOUND,
PAPER ENOUGH TO WRITE A CUSTOM-HOUSE NOTICE UPON,
INK ENOUGH TO WRITE TWO LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET,
REED ENOUGH TO MAKE A PEN” –
AND SO ON AND ON, ENDLESSLY.
FOR MANY OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES,
THESE THINGS WERE OF THE ESSENCE OF RELIGION.
FOR THEM SERVING GOD WAS A MATTER OF OBSERVING
THOUSANDS OF LEGALISTIC RULES AND REGULATIONS.
THEY REGARDED THESE PETTY RULES AND REGULATIONS
AS LITERALLY MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH AND ETERNAL DESTINY.
CLEARLY, JESUS DID NOT MEAN THAT NOT ONE OF THESE
RULES AND REGULATIONS WAS TO PASS AWAY.
REPEATEDLY, HE BROKE THEM HIMSELF,
AND REPEATEDLY HE CRITICISED THEM.
WHAT THEN, DID JESUS MEAN BY THE LAW?
AFTER ALL, HE SAID THAT HE HAD NOT COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW,
BUT TO FULFILL THE LAW.
THAT IS TO SAY, HE CAME TO BRING OUT THE REAL MEANING
OF THE LAW.
WHAT, THEN, IS THAT REAL MEANING?
EVEN BEHIND THE SCRIBAL AND ORAL LAW,
THERE WAS ONE GREAT PRINCIPLE WHICH
THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES HAD IMPERFECTLY GRASPED.
THIS ONE GREAT PRINCIPLE WAS THAT IN ALL THINGS
PEOPLE MUST SEEK GOD’S WILL, AND THAT, WHEN THEY KNOW IT,
THEY MUST DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO THE LIVING OF IT.
THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE RIGHT IN SEEKING GOD’S WILL,
AND PROFOUNDLY RIGHT IN DEDICATING THEIR LIVES TO LIVING IT.
THEY WERE WRONG IN FINDING THAT WILL IN THEIR SELF-MADE
MULTITUDE OF RULES AND REGULATIONS.
WHAT, THEN, IS THE REAL PRINCIPLE BEHIND THE WHOLE LAW,
THE PRINCIPLE WHICH JESUS CAME TO FULFILL?
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, WHICH ARE
THE ESSENCE AND FOUNDATION OF ALL LAW, WE CAN SEE THAT
THEIR WHOLE MEANING CAN BE SUMMED UP IN TWO WORDS --
REVERENCE TOWARD GOD; RESPECT TOWARD OTHER HUMANS:
REVERENCE FOR GOD AND FOR THE NAME OF GOD,
REVERENCE FOR GOD’S DAY,
RESPECT FOR PARENTS, RESPECT FOR SPOUSE,
RESPECT FOR LIFE, RESPECT FOR PROPERTY,
RESPECT FOR THE TRUTH AND FOR ANOTHER PERSON’S GOOD NAME,
RESPECT FOR ONESELF SO THAT NO WRONG DESIRE
MAY OVERPOWER US.
THESE ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES BEHIND
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, PRINCIPLES OF REVERENCE FOR GOD,
AND RESPECT FOR OUR NEIGHBORS AND FOR OURSELVES.
WITHOUT THEM THERE CAN BE NO SUCH THING AS LAW.
ON THEM ALL TRUE LAW IS BASED.
IT WAS THAT REVERENCE AND THAT RESPECT
WHICH JESUS CAME TO FULFILL.
HE CAME TO SHOW MEN AND WOMEN WHAT REVERENCE FOR GOD
AND RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER LOOK LIKE IN ACTUAL LIFE.
JESUS CAME TO SHOW IN PRACTICE WHAT IT MEANS
TO GIVE TO GOD THE REVERENCE AND TO OTHER PEOPLE
THE RESPECT WHICH ARE THEIR DUE.
THAT REVERENCE AND THAT RESPECT, ACCORDING TO JESUS,
DID NOT CONSIST IN OBEYING A MULTITUDE
OF PETTY RULES AND REGULATIONS.
THEY CONSISTED NOT IN SACRIFICE, BUT IN COMPASSION;
NOT IN LEGALISM, BUT IN LOVE;
NOT SO MUCH IN PROHIBITIONS WHICH DEMANDED THAT PEOPLE
SHOULD NOT DO THINGS, BUT IN THE INSTRUCTION TO BASE LIFE ON THE POSITIVE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE.
LATER IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, JESUS GIVES US
A CLEAR ANSWER AS TO WHAT HE MEANS WHEN HE TALKS
ABOUT FULFILLING THE LAW.
IN CHAPTER 22, A SCRIBE ASKS JESUS THE QUESTION:
“TEACHER, WHICH COMMANDMENT IN THE LAW IS THE GREATEST?”
IN RESPONSE, JESUS SAYS TO HIM: “YOU SHALL LOVE
THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,
AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.
THIS IS THE GREATEST AND FIRST COMMANDMENT.
AND A SECOND IS LIKE IT: YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
AS YOURSELF.”
JESUS EMPHATICALLY ENDS HIS RESPONSE TO THE SCRIBE
WITH THE WORDS: “ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS
HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPETS.”
ACCORDING TO JESUS, TO FULFILL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS
MEANS NOTHING LESS THAN TO LOVE GOD, NEIGHBOR, AND SELF.
FOR JESUS, TO PRACTICE LOVE IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE
TO KNOWING GOD;
FOR JESUS, TO LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE-IN-ACTION IS TO KNOW GOD.
IN A SIMILAR STORY CAPTURED BY LUKE, A SCRIBE ASKS JESUS
WHAT HE MUST DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE.
IN TYPICAL RABINNIC FASHION, JESUS ANSWERS A QUESTION
BY ASKING ANOTHER QUESTION:
“WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW, WHAT DO YOU READ THERE?”
THE SCRIBE ANSWERS BY QUOTING JESUS’ OWN SUMMARY
OF THE LAW: “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL,
AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND;
AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
NOTE JESUS’ RESPONSE. HE SAYS TO THE SCRIBE:
“YOU HAVE GIVEN THE RIGHT ANSWER;
DO THIS, AND YOU WILL LIVE.” (Luke 10:25-28)
ONCE AGAIN, FOR JESUS, TO PRACTICE LOVE IS NOT
AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO KNOWING GOD;
FOR JESUS, TO LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE-IN-ACTION IS TO KNOW GOD.
I AM FASCINATED BY THIS ANSWER OF JESUS.
REMEMBER THAT THE SCRIBE HAS ASKED
WHAT HE MUST DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE.
THE STANDARD ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION BY MANY CHRISTIANS
WOULD BE TO OFFER AS LIST OF CERTAIN THINGS
THAT YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS.
HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT WHAT JESUS HIMSELF SAYS.
JESUS HIMSELF POINTS US TO THE LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR.
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WHAT IS GOING ON HERE
WITH MANY CHRISTIANS IS THE SAME DYNAMIC THAT WAS AT WORK
IN THE MULTIPLICATION OR RULES AND REGULATIONS
BY THE SCRIBES.
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE OPEN-ENDEDNESS OF THE LAW’S BASIC PRINCIPLES OF REVERENCE FOR GOD
AND RESPECT FOR NEIGHBOR,
THE SCRIBES CAME UP WITH THOUSANDS OF RULES
ATTEMPTING TO REGULATE EVERY ASPECT OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
IN A SIMILAR WAY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT –
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE OPEN-ENDEDNESS OF JESUS
AND THE CHALLENGE OF LIVING HIS WAY,
MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE REPLACED JESUS’ EMPHASIS ON LIVING
WITH THEIR OWN EMPHASIS ON BELIEVING.
THEY OFFER US PAGES AND PAGES OF THEOLOGY ABOUT JESUS,
ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TO BELIEVE IN ORDER TO BE SAVED,
WHEN THIS WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF THE REAL JESUS AT ALL.
JUST AS THE LEGALISTIC PART OF JUDAISM IN JESUS DAY
FAILED TO REFLECT THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE LAW,
THE LEGALISTIC CHRISTIANITY OF OUR DAY
FAILS TO REFLECT THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE OF JESUS.
MICHAEL YACONELLI CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF JESUS
REGARDING THE LAW IN THIS ILLUSTRATION
FROM HIS WONDERFUL BOOK MESSY SPIRITUALITY:
HE WRITES:
“JOHN MACKIE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
AFTER WORLD WAS II.
WITH TWO OTHER MINISTERS FROM A FUNDAMENTALIST
DENOMINATION, HE TRAVELED TO REMOTE PARTS
OF THE BALKAN PENINSULA TO CHECK ON MISSIONARIES
WHICH BOTH CHURCHES SUPPORTED.
THE THREE CLERGYMEN CALLED ON AN ORTHODOX PRIEST
IN A REMOTE GREEK VILLAGE.
EXCITED TO SEE THE VISITORS, THE PRIEST OFFERED THE CLERGYMEN
A GLASS OF RARE AND EXPENSIVE WINE.
HORRIFIED, THE TWO FUNDAMENTALIST MINISTERS REFUSED.
DR. MACKIE, ON THE OTHER HAND, TOOK A GLASSFUL,
SNIFFED IT LIKE A WINE CONNOISSEUR, SIPPED IT,
AND PRAISED ITS QUALITY.
HE EVEN ASKED FOR ANOTHER GLASS.
HIS COMPANIONS WERE NOTICEABLY UPSET
BY DR. MACKIE’S BEHAVIOR.
LATER, WHEN THE THREE MINISTERS WERE IN THE JEEP AGAIN,
MAKING THEIR WAY UP THE ROUGH ROAD OUT OF THE VILLAGE,
THE TWO FUNDAMENTALIST CLERGYMEN TURNED ON DR. MACKIE.
‘DR. MACKIE,’ THEY SAID, ‘DO YOU MEAN TO TELL US
THAT YOU ARE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
AND AN OFFICER OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
AND YOU DRINK?’
DR. MACKIE HAD HAD ALL HE COULD TAKE,
AND LET HIS SCOTTISH TEMPER GET THE BETTER OF HIM.
‘NO I DON’T,’ HE SAID, ‘BUT SOMEBODY HAD TO BE A CHRISTIAN!’”
(End Quote)
SOMETIMES BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS BREAKING LEGALISTIC
ADDITIONS TO GOD’S BASIC LAW OF LOVE.
I LIKE THE WAY ST. FRANCIS CAPTURES THE ESSENCE
OF WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE A GOD-LIKE LIFE WHEN HE WRITES:
“GOD CAME TO MY HOUSE AND ASKED FOR CHARITY.
AND I FELL ON MY KNEES AND CRIED,
‘BELOVED, WHAT MAY I GIVE?’
‘JUST LOVE,’ GOD SAID, ‘JUST LOVE.’”
AMEN.