“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. For 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. Therefore, 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. 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.
Matthew 5:17-20
Ah, the law. The rules given to the world from Moses. In some circles called the Torah or the Pentateuch. Those first five books of the Bible. Many Christians will push through most of this portion of Scriptures during an annual read through of the Bible. Most of those love Genesis and the beginning of Exodus and then it hits. The descriptions of the building of the tabernacle and the details of living out the law. Our eyes glaze over and we often wonder why we keep reading this portion. Temptation comes to skip this and get on to the portion of Numbers where some battles take place (physical and spiritual).
However, Jesus did not come to abolish this. Yet, we ALL pick and choose what we obey here. We use a verse here or there to dismiss portions that are uncomfortable. Conservative Christians will bring out the verses against homosexuality but skip the parts about stoning your son for disobedience. By the way if you want to comply with all the law you would have to stone homosexuals and even heterosexual adulterers. Yet we tend to treat these differently. Are you really willing to kill for this? Generally, food laws are dismissed because Jesus declared all foods clean.
What does it mean to set aside the least letter of the law? The easiest way to ensure that we comply with the law is to start with the two great commandments. Love God. Seek Him first in the morning and then throughout your day. Look for where He is and hang out with him. When I was dating my wife, I worked in the dining commons. When the dish room would quiet down, I would go out and look to see if my future wife was there. I was looking for a mere peak at this woman that I love. Should I not do the same if I am going to love God. Every moment and every day God is doing His work. Unfortunately, I too often am so self-focused that I miss His actions. This must change.
Love others. This most likely means that we will not be able to stone the adulterer, homosexual or even our disobedient children. It does mean that we will care for them when they are hurting. It means that we will listen to them. It does mean that we can not carry signs saying that God hates them. It does not mean that we accept sin in the camp. We must love each other enough to call sin, sin. Share the truth. Sin leads to death. I love you too much to not tell you that truth. I also want you to know there is a way out. Jesus came to give us life. That is what I am here to share with you. All sin is slavery.
The law and the prophets are a mirror, a teacher and a guide to show us what sin is so that we can know, be convicted and quit making excuses. Before someone was allowed to rule Israel or Judah, they were supposed to read this law and meditate on it. Those rare times this took place, revival took place. What would happen if in the new year, we the leaders of our homes, churches, businesses or organizations all took time to mediate and reflect on the Torah?
