Todays readings are an excerpt from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which occupies chapters five, six and seven. The following remarks follows the Beatitudes and Jesus calling his disciples the light of the world, salt of the earth etc. Todays readings act as a preface to Jesus’ comments on the Mosaic Law, basically an affirmation that he is not changing the Law or getting rid of it and states how important it is. This acts as a buffer of sorts before his audience hears what can sound like a refutation of the Law if misinterpreted.
17 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.
The lectionary adds in “Jesus said to his disciples” but that is not here in the original text, Jesus is actually speaking to a large multitude of people. Jesus tells this multitude, probably after reading their hearts, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets” The phrase “the law and the prophets” is basically short hand for the Old Testament literature that contained the statutes or laws of God. This would be the first five books of Moses and the written record of the messages received by the Prophets.
These statutes are not being abolished, they are being fulfilled. Many Jews had the notion that the Law was kind of the last step in salvation history before “the day of the Lord” the day of judgement. Even though prophets speak of a new eternal covenant that was coming, most assumed this was a part of that final day of days kind of moment. They didn’t understand that the Mosaic Law and the Prophets were actually just a middle stage in salvation history and pointed toward even greater things here on earth before the end of time. Jesus is informing them of this fact because without this explanation what he says after todays readings can sound like he is abolishing something.
Imagine someone got used to eating raw cookie dough, they thought that was the end product then someone else comes in saying it should be baked into little cakes. It can seem like your changing and destroying what that other person thought they wanted but you are actually taking it to its fulfilment, silly example I know but it makes my brain understand it better.
There are going to be aspects of the Mosaic era that end, animal sacrifices in a singular temple and circumcision for example. But these three things are all expressed in a divine way in the New Covenant, the eternal sacrificial lamb sacrifice that Jesus commands us to take part in with the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit dwells no longer in a single building but in every baptised person and circumcision of the heart. Instead of unsatisfactory animal sacrifices we have an eternal perfect sacrifice, instead of inhabiting a building God inhabits us and instead of being bound externally like a slave or cattle to the moral Law, we are invited through familial covenant with God to work for him like a Son following his Father.
18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
Jesus begins with his solemn introduction to important statements. “For truly, I say to you” or “Amen Amen I say to you”. This gravity of introduction helps us understand the context of the rest of the passage. Some interpret the “till heaven and earth pass away” to mean until three years later at the crucifixion or 40 years later at the destruction of the Temple but the gravity of Jesus’ opening seems a little much for that. It most likely means that the substance of these Laws, which all have New Covenant fulfilments or refinements will remain in perpetuity. Yes disciplines and expressions of liturgy change but their substance does not.
Not an “iota” which is the Greek term corresponding to the Hebrew letter “Yod” which is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the “dot” in “not a dot” was a tiny extension used by Hebrew scribes to differentiate similar looking Hebrew letters. So not the smallest letter or the smallest accent detail of a letter will pass from the Law until the end of time essentially. The only thing that is changing is the interpretation of the Law, because the Jews got it wrong. Luckily Jesus is divine so he can’t make interpretative mistakes.
19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Some people interpret Jesus here as referring to the Mosaic Laws but that doesn’t quite make sense considering he is going to be referring to the Kingdom of Heaven which relates to the New Covenant. When he says “whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments” he is referring to the ones he himself is about to give. This phrase also informs us that Jesus saw some commandments of his as having greater or lesser weight on them. Some things are more important than others.
He is basically saying that there are repercussions for how well you attempt to follow his commandments. This necessitates actually, honestly, attempting to follow them but failing in spite of that, doing this means you will be considered the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. So failure to be perfect in this life does not prevent you from getting to heaven but that doesn’t mean you will receive great rewards. There is definitely a scale system here being hinted at in the hidden realities of heaven. Those who are more obedient shall be considered great in the kingdom of Heaven. The more perfect you are, the more exalted you will be in Heaven.
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