Our scripture this morning is Matthew 5:17-20.
Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees are mentioned often as the opponents of Jesus in scripture, “the bad guys”. They tended to be hardened in their thinking and were afraid of losing their authority when Jesus appeared. However, we have the examples of Nicodemus in John 3 and 19, Gamaliel (who was Paul’s teacher) in Acts 5, and Paul himself – all Pharisees who saw the light of Christ.
The Pharisees as a group used the law not to teach or draw people to God but as a tool to maintain their grip on power. This is the complete opposite of what God intended when He gave the law at Mt. Sinai. Jesus teaches in this passage that He came not to abolish the law, but to accomplish it, to help people see God’s loving plan for us.
God gave the law to a recently freed people with no society or structure to help them live together with Him and each other. The law was intended to teach and protect them. It was never meant for oppression. Jesus tells us “unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” – a warning that we must not use our faith or the church for any purpose other than His.
Loving Lord, we are saddened by our failure to be an obedient church and to love others as You first loved us. Help us to go in Your love to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.