Reading: Matthew 4-6
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:17-20).
And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: And He opened his mouth, and taught them, saying (Matt. 5:1- 2). The Sermon on the Mount was Jesus' first widely attended public sermon. In it, He made many statements that would have been considered radical for the times. He challenged the people to go outside their comfort zones, ignore the pomp and circumstance that organized religion had become, and follow God's laws as God Himself had always intended. Jesus reminded them that adhering to the letter of the written law was not enough; true righteousness came from loving and fearing the Lord God. He challenged His listeners to embrace life, not as law-bound Jews, but as members of the family of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Jesus stood before the crowd in fulfillment of God’s promise and His law. He taught as the embodiment of the Word (John 1:1,14). As such, He taught with an authority that had never been witnessed before (Matt. 7:29). The people before Him had become caught up in a system of sacrificial payment and false righteousness. They were being led by scribes and Pharisees who proudly proclaimed to know everything about religious sacraments but knew nothing about God. With His words, Jesus sought to educate the hearts of the people, opening them to God’s will and grace. His goal? Nothing less than perfect redemption. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (5:48).
Christ’s words are just as applicable today as they were to His original audience. Our churches are packed to the brim with people just going through the motions without any clear understanding of the God they claim to serve. These individuals cling to their baptismal certificates and church memberships as if they were the keys to heaven, all while a copy of God’s Word sits on their bookshelves, dusty from lack of use. They wear their ‘Christianity’ proudly, so busy maintaining the proper public persona that they have no time to privately commune with God. Their righteousness is a sham, no more significant than that of the scribes and Pharisees. They are dangerously lost, all the more so because they believe themselves to be found.
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God(Mic. 6:7-8)?
Thought for Today: Even centuries later, Christ’s words remain revolutionary; for those who cling to the fallen world, they are incomprehensible.
Cross Reference: For Matt. 4:4: See Deut. 8:3. Matt. 4:6: See Ps. 91: 11-12. Matt. 4:7: See Deut. 6:16. Matt. 4:10: See Deut. 6:13-14. Matt. 4:15-16: See Is. 9:1-2. Matt. 5:21: See Ex. 20:13. Matt. 5:27: See Ex. 20:14. Matt. 5:31: See Deut. 24:1. Matt. 5:33: See Num. 30:2. Matt. 5:38: See Ex. 21:24. Matt. 5:43: See Lev. 19:18.
Word Studies:5:13 his savour = its usefulness; 5:18 one jot or one tittle = as the dot on the letter "i" or the cross of a "t"; 5:22 say . . . Raca = worthless one, pour contempt; 5:29 offend thee = causes you to sin; 5:33 forswear = swear falsely, break an oath; 5:46 publicans= Jewish tax collectors, worldly-minded; 6:19 corrupt = make money worthless; 6:22 single = free from deceit; 6:23 evil = selfish, sinful; 6:24 mammon = material things.
Pray for StaffTifany Parisi • Government Official: Rep. Hank Johnson (GA) • Country: Congo, Republic of the (4,662,446) West-central Africa • Major Languages: French, Lingala • Religious Freedom • 33.1% Roman Catholic; 22.3% Awakening Churches/Christian Revival; 19.9% Protestant; 2.2% Salutiste; 1.6% Muslim; 1.5% Kimbanguist; 8.1% Other; 11.3 % None • Prayer Suggestion: Exalt the Lord, for He is holy (Ps. 99:9).