Encore Post: After the Babylonian Exile, the Jewish people were determined to keep God’s Law. They put a very high value on the study of the Torah — the first five books of the Bible, written by Moses. They gathered around teachers, whom they called Rabbi — my master — who would give their interpretation of the law and the opinions of previous Rabbis. They considered these teachings to be the oral law, which by tradition was given by Moses, never written down, but passed down from teacher to teacher.
They taught that if you wanted to keep God’s law, hold yourself to practices stricter than the actual words of Scripture. These are called the “hedge around the Torah” and are gathered into the Talmud. So, for example, if you don’t want to take the name of the Lord your God in vain, then never pronounce it. Instead, say “My Lord” or “The Name.” If you don’t want to work on the Sabbath by sewing, stop after four stitches. And many similar things.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does the same thing. Only he goes well beyond what a rabbi would teach. Not only must you not murder someone, Jesus taught, you must not even call someone stupid. Not only should you give to the poor and pray, you must not do it for the recognition you’ll get. He quotes the law, “You will not murder,” “You will not commit adultery,” and then says something no other rabbi would say. “You have heard it said … but I say to you.” Some of his hearers must have thought: “Who does he think he is? God?” (well, yes, but that is another post!) Most of those who heard him were amazed. He teaches with authority, not like the Pharisees, they said to each other.
In the Gospel of Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount is the first of five groups of teachings. He does this to show Jesus is a new Moses. But Jesus is much greater than Moses. He is the Word of God himself. If we see the teachings of Jesus as a new law, we miss the point. We cannot keep the law on our own, for we are not perfect as the Heaven Father is perfect. Jesus kept the law perfectly for our sake, took our disobedience on himself and died to pay its price for us. He now gives us his righteousness in exchange. More than that, he now gives us the strength to keep God’s law and to live in it by the freedom the Gospel gives us.
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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