The Law Above The Law

The Law above the Law

Matthew 5:17-20, KJV

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For 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. 19Whosoever 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. 20For 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.

Setting the Scene

For the average person listening to Jesus, the law of Moses was the huge elephant in every room. The Law, the shorthand term for the first five books of the Hebrew Old Testament, was undeniably present in every situation people encountered. That law, with the multiplied traditions surrounding it, governed almost any action a person might need to take each day. Already Jesus’ challenging of traditions was being seen as an attack on the underlying law of Moses. Here Jesus formally disarmed those who would accuse him of trying to destroy or replace what God had already given his people.

Jesus warned anyone speaking on his behalf to take care not to ignore the least commandment or influence others to do so, because they would not have standing in God’s Kingdom. God’s laws were still to be taught as the ultimate standard for behavior.

Then Jesus shifted the focus slightly to include the idea of righteousness. Jesus was not exactly complimenting the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees as paragons of righteousness; he was pointing out that genuine obedience to God would require greater and substantially different righteousness than these current leaders could muster. As guardians of the law, these leaders claimed to be obedient to it, yet Jesus pointed out on numerous occasions that these guardians invalidated the law by their contrived interpretations.

At the heart of this statement is Jesus’ claim to fulfill the law and prophets. He was deliberately pointing to himself as the living standard. He also warned the scribes and Pharisees that their brand of righteousness would not gain them access to heaven.

Getting Personal

What does Jesus mean that our righteousness must be better than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees?

How did Jesus accomplish the purpose of the law?

The Pharisees were proud of their reputation. Yet the Old Testament prophet Isaiah declared that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6, KJV). In other words, we can’t save ourselves by our good works.

Talking to God

Talk with the Lord about your own relation to his law—how these standards help you understand God’s will but also frustrate you in your inability to live up to them on your own. Thank God for imputing his righteousness to you and for empowering you by his Spirit to live for him.