Good Morning Friends,
Today we take on a very challenging issue of interpretation of scripture. And it involves us to think through our attitudes about laws we have in our own society too, knowing the politicians do not always agree. And the thing is that scholars do not agree either on Jesus’ attitude toward the written and oral traditions of law. So, the issue is not new. But interestingly these Bible scholars do agree Jesus was taking on the religious and political leaders of the day, and that Jesus was never safe and predictable in what he would do. So, friends, on the one hand Jesus accepted the Old Testament laws as a permanently binding revelation of God, but at other times made rituals subordinate to moral laws and relaxed the Sabbath laws to meet human needs. He was not so concerned about the purity laws as the purity process. His focus was more on the spirit of the law. And now since we live in the age of the church and a time of grace before judgement, I imagine some might be confused a little on the subject. And so we ask: How Relevant Is The Old Testament Law In Our Age Of Grace?
Scripture: So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. See, just as the Lord my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children—
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 (NRSV)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-19 (NRSV)
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:20-48 (NRSV)
Message: When it comes to the practice of our faith, I know of no other subject that has caused more confusion in religious circles than the failure to understand the difference between the age of Law and the age of Grace and the age of the Church. And this is so in part because its full understanding requires careful interpretations of the mystery parables and the context in which they were given, and I cannot address them all today, but will tell you that they are often best viewed as being in the face of the religious establishments of that day and perhaps our own. So back to the topic of the day and my take on it. In this meditation it is best for us to view the new law Jesus offers as the completion of the old law and not its destruction. There is a maturing of the human mind as demonstrated in the Matthew text. And so as we study the Bible we see that the whole law goes far beyond the Ten Commandments and is expanded to 630 items that in all history only Jesus fulfilled and that today no one is capable of fulfilling. The total Law consists of a moral, civil, dietary, and ceremonial law, that governed the conduct of the nation of Israel. The law was given by God, to Moses, to be delivered to one people, the nation of Israel as instructions necessary to protect and preserve a nation to bring us our Savior Jesus. So, Jesus fulfilled the law and, on the cross, put an end to the Laws’ purpose and substituted something new that is for the whole world to write on their hearts. Gentiles were typically not under the old Law however we all have a purpose in this. What we are to show in our lives is a law written on our hearts, to which our own conscience also bears witness and Jesus Christ, will ultimately judge. So, the Law still has status in the Christian life, and there are thousands upon thousands of laws in our nation, but none of these laws are a means of salvation, save for the law of love in the new covenant. The difference for us is that we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and thereby the capacity when we mature to express a more moral approach to the way we live. Know that there was an abundant measure of grace under the law of Moses that can instruct us in avoiding a cheap grace that disavows obedience to God’s will. Sin still exists even though it is defeated. For now, we have both wheat and tares in our world, and we must exist together for a time before Jesus returns. So, for some the Old Testament laws may be relevant in bringing momentary grace into the lives of believers as they mature into a more complete Christian faith.
And So, we inherently know that rules do not make people good. We see it with our children, and we see it in our own lives. Laws may show us what right living looks like but not always. When we look at God’s law of love, we see that we have broken it though acts of omission, commission, and the disposition. No number of good deeds can change the fact that we are lawbreakers. We cannot earn God’s favor by trying to be good enough. The good news is that Jesus has made it possible for us to be forgiven and have our sins paid for. Jesus tells us that we are saved by faith, not by what we do but that we will be doers and not just hearers of the Word. If we will trust and obey in Him, we can have the forgiveness we so desperately need in the age to come.
Pray we rejoice in the grace we have been given in a belief in Jesus as our Savior. Pray we realize that obedience of the law is not equivalent to salvation but that there still is a moral law of love. Pray we realize that we are only made righteous with the righteousness of Christ and for the purpose to show forth His righteousness in ours when we share the true Gospel. Pray we realize that Christian morality is more than keeping a set of rules and regulations. Pray our Christian character is shaped by our relationship with Jesus from the inside out in prayer and devotion to Christ. Pray the law is written upon our hearts. Pray God transform our lives by the Grace of the Holy Spirit for His glory, our benefit and for the benefit of others. Pray we become new creatures in Christ that can think and internalizing moral behavior relevant for our times. Pray we realize that what God will ultimately choose is good.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 