Thought for the Week

Scriptures to Read:

St. Matthew 5:21-26

St. Matthew 5:27-30

St. Matthew 5:33-37

St. Matthew 5:38-42

St. Matthew 5:43-48

St. Matthew 7:24-29

St. Matthew 12:34-40

Jesus gave teachings that none else had ever given so far as I know. The Law, specifically the Ten Commandments, was deemed the guiding principle for Israel to live by. As God was holy, He expected His People to be holy. All Jews, not just the Scribes and Pharisees, honored the Law.

At the beginning of each service in the synagogue, on Sabbath, the sacred scrolls were taken from their storage place, carried around the synagogue so the people could show reverence and kissed by the worship leader as a sign of worship of the Author. All the people demonstrated respect. But there was a danger here, too, for Isaiah, the Prophet, said, "This people honors me (God) with their lips but their hearts are far from Me." Jesus gave a new understanding to Commandments." It is not that He contradicted the Law but rather He expanded it to include spirit as well as the letter.

Teachings seemed to be focused on adhering to the "letter of the Law." Jesus wanted people to understand there was a spirit to the Law that went much deeper than the letter. I said before the dual focus of Ten Commandments, was that people should revere God and respect people. Jesus begins by saying, "You have heard it said that you shall not..." and then goes on to site a specific Commandment or teaching such as "...you shall not kill but I say unto you..." He then gives the spiritual application. It is not simply not doing some physical thing but rather focuses on the attitude of the heart and mind. He repeats these admonitions at least five times in His "Sermon on the Mount" (see St. Matthew 5:21, 27, 33, 38 and 43). Example: "You have heard it has been said,...you shall not kill (murder)... but I say unto you, you shall not hold anyone in contempt, speak evil against, or basically disrespect anyone." His indication was that though penalties for these things vary the intent and motivation is that everyone is created in the image and after the likeness of God.

It is not only that we shall not take away (destroy) life but we shall not disrespect life of anyone. Note Jesus first says, "you have heard" and continues "But I say." He is here demonstrating His authority. The Scribes and Pharisees challenge His authority. They do not say what He says is wrong but only challenge His authority. This is not the first or only time they do this. He does not even defend His authority. He simply challenges them about whether they accepted the authority of John The Baptist. They decline to answer Him and He declines to answer them. The Scribes and Pharisees are very concerned about externals/outside appearances. Jesus is concerned about internals/what is heart and mind motivation for how people live. It is not only what Jesus says but the authority He claims to say it that astonishes the common people.

Later in this sermon, Jesus says those who hear His sayings and obey them are like wise men. Those who hear His sayings and disregard them will suffer terrible loss. When we consider Jesus' claim to authority to interpret The Law, we also must consider how we will respond to it and to Him. For, if we reject His authority and what He says, we will be liable to suffer terrible loss as they were then. Either we will say and believe Jesus was crazy or He had authority and spoke truth. We must not only hear truth but do it.