Law

“Syllabus shock” refers to the overwhelming recognition of the intensity of class requirements for a given semester after receiving the class syllabi. I just made that definition up, but it’s not bad, right? The way I feel when I see a semester’s worth of assignments and projects crammed onto a single piece of paper is the way I feel when I read this portion of the Sermon on the Mount. It’s difficult to comprehend and when it’s all crunched together here in just a few verses without many caveats or explanations, it makes me feel queasy.

Jesus is addressing a complex topic: The Old Testament Law. Jesus does not seem focused, at this moment, on detailing the exact relationship between believers and the Old Testament Law. The rest of the New Testament speaks to this topic more extensively. Jesus is more specifically focused on responding to the potential accusation that he is “overthrowing” the Law. He wants people to know that his life and ministry are not running contrary to God’s word but carrying out the intended purpose of God’s word (v. 17). Jesus’ mission was not to overthrow the Old Testament, but to fulfill or “complete” it by accomplishing what was prophesied and obeying what was commanded.

In this passage, Jesus doubles down on the value and enduring nature of the Old Testament Law, promising that it will last as long as heaven (or literally “the skies”) and the earth (v. 18). He even reassures his listeners that in this new kingdom that he’s establishing, the Law will still matter. The Law shouldn’t be minimized or ignored (v. 19). But the big surprise to the original readers may well have been that Jesus calls out the religious leaders of the day. He implies that, in actuality, they are the ones who have minimized and ignored the Law. The standard for right living in God’s new kingdom is higher, not lower than what the religious leaders expected. Jesus advocates for a new level of right living from God’s people, but what he’s doing is expressing God’s heart behind the Law all along.

We’re beginning to see this strange, biblical tension between Jesus bringing the Old Testament Law to completion while establishing a new kingdom where we are still obedient to the will of God. What becomes clear as you continue to explore the teachings of Jesus and the rest of the New Testament is that our way of carrying out God’s will is bound up not in following the written laws of the Old Testament but in following the living King who perfectly fulfilled them. Our way of living rightly in God’s kingdom is less about following a set of laws and more about following a specific leader.

Discussion Questions:

• Icebreaker: If you could create and enforce any civil law, what would it be? Why?
• In one word, how would you describe your typical view of the Old Testament? (Confusing, Fascinating, Archaic, Intimidating, etc.)
• Jesus’ words in verse 20 are a lofty standard for us to attain. What kind of emotions do those words evoke in you?
• How, if at all, does Jesus fulfilling the Law bring you relief when reading this passage?
• Read Romans 7:4-6. How does this passage shape how you understand and interpret Jesus’ words here?