“Christ Fulfills the Law”
Jesus taught His followers and disciples about the Law. Next we will look in context at His teaching concerning the kingdom of heaven in the Gospel of Matthew 5:17-20.
God communicated moral and ceremonial law to the Israelites so that they would come closer to Him, know Him, and love Him. He imparted this wisdom about life (after all, He created life so He should know), so that we, as people, could live fulfilled lives. But, what happened, and what I believe often continues to happen even today, is that we take this wisdom that God shared with us and we “legalize” it. The Pharisees and religious leaders of the day took the law and often misquoted and misapplied it. Many religious leaders today do the same.
Matthew 5:17-20 (TNIV)
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.a 18 Truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (emphasis added)
One of the primary focuses of Jesus’ teaching, we have seen, is “the kingdom of God/the kingdom of heaven”. I ask my self “why did Jesus put so much emphasis on this and what is He talking about.” In almost every case the answer comes out to mean something we already know. Jesus came to put our “hearts” back in the Law. In fact, the word, “the Law” almost seems to harsh, as I see that what God communicated to us is knowledge of how we might know Him and love Him and know ourselves, and find fulfillment in life. Often this has been turned into a mass of do’s and don’ts.
Jesus is the living example of the Law (and we still sometimes tend to make it a bunch of rules). If we read the Words of Jesus and understand what He taught us, we would see clearly the full meaning of what we are to understand. We can’t put humility aside and cover it up, but then proclaim loudly right and wrong. We can’t get so wrapped up in our own lives that our eyes are blind to the needs of others around us, or the world around us.
I like very much how the commentator in the Life Application Bible NT Commentary put’s it: “Jesus taught the principle of true application: understanding the deepest and broadest implications of a command in order to take immediate action. Jesus emphasized that the law wasn’t simply “letter,” but also “spirit.” In the language of today Jesus might have said, “Don’t believe those who try to deal with God by using legal technicalities. God knows your heart and will reject rationalizations.” Unless we face the truth that God’s standards will not be met by our halfhearted efforts, we will never recognize our need for a Savior. Jesus clarified the intent of the law; then he claimed to be our only way of escape from the judgment we deserve for our failure to obey God’s commands. “ (emphasis added)
Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is near, that it is right in our midst, and that it can be right IN us. I understand that to mean that the kingdom of heaven can be in our hearts. Then He goes on to tell us what He means, it can’t be summed up in one thought because life is so complex and beautiful. So, as we search the Scriptures for His teaching on this subject, we will continue to see the intricacies in this beautiful place TO BE, in His Words to come.
I believe that if I were to ask you if you wanted to be in the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God that it would be like asking you, do you want to be a part of the family of God, the family of Jesus? Do you want the Holy Spirit to reside in your heart, in your life? Then Jesus would say, start by learning to be humble, to think of others, to love the people in the world around you, to help reconcile people with their problems……most of all, to share what you have learned with others so that they might get to know God like you have gotten to know God. I have found that knowing about God is one thing, I can study, I can learn, I can recite and I can list all kinds of things about God. However, it is not until I throw that all away and talk with God, walk with Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me in life that I can even begin to feel the closeness and the richness of being a part of God’s close family. There is no sibling rivalry in God’s family, there is enough love from God for each of us. Let’s share that relationship with others. Following the rules won’t get us in the family but………adopting the heart of the rules, in application, in our life…….prepares the way for a fulfilling life.
So what does this passage tell us about the kingdom of heaven/the kingdom of God? I believe that Jesus is telling us that if we don’t understand and apply what He is teaching us (about ourselves, I might add) that we will not fully realize the kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God. It’s kinda like here on earth when we have a sibling that is rebellious, that doesn’t listen to the wise council of his/her parents, that doesn’t want to be close in love to them, that primarily thinks only of their own need…….while technically they are still children of those parents……have they fully realized the richness of being a part of the family?….no…..they have willed themselves “on their own” or “apart” from that family. I hope that makes sense
Lastly I would point out that Jesus did not say, “For I tell you that unless your SELF-righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”. Go back and look at Matthew, chapter 5, verse 6 again in the Beattitudes to get the full meaning of what Jesus was saying.
The kingdom of heaven is near……….