Learning the Jesus Way of LifeSample

What It’s Like When God Is in Charge (Part 2)

Pray: Jesus, give me the faith to go where you go, do what you do, trust what you say, and love how you love. Today, I commit to following you. Amen.

Today, Jesus reminds us that there is a way of life that God has commanded us to walk in; a way of life that leads to goodness, flourishing, and joy beyond measure. But how can we know if we are on the right track or not? Great question. That’s what Jesus is going to answer in this next section.

As you read today’s Scripture, keep in mind the theme that Jesus keeps pointing toward: Life in God’s kingdom isn’t about following a bunch of rules. It’s about becoming like Jesus. Let that theme help you interpret wisely some of the more shocking and unsettling statements Jesus makes.

“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 NIV

If you read those verses, understand them perfectly, and don’t have any questions, then you just might be the greatest Bible prodigy the world has ever seen! Jesus packs so much into those four sentences that most people can read this passage 100 times and still walk away with questions. That’s why we are going to break this down one sentence at a time to help us learn what Jesus is teaching us.

“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.” Matthew 5:17 NIV

Jesus begins by telling us what He’s not doing, because He wants to make sure we don’t get the wrong idea. He didn’t come to throw out the Law and the Prophets (another way of saying the Hebrew Bible). He came to fulfill them. Jesus came to obey every command in the Law and accomplish every promise in the Prophets.

“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.” Matthew 5:18 NIV

Jesus doubles down with even stronger language. Until heaven and earth disappear, and everything is said and done, not even the tiniest bit of the Law will be ignored. All of it matters to God and—Jesus says next—all of it should matter to us.

“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.” Matthew 5:19 NIV

If you ignore even the smallest command and teach others to do the same, then you’ll be seen as the least in God’s kingdom. But, if you practice personally and teach publicly God’s commands, then you will be seen as great in His kingdom. If reading these words doesn’t make you feel a little bit nervous, then you aren’t paying attention to what Jesus is saying. Jesus is intensely serious about God’s law. And as His followers, we ought to be too.

“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 5:20 NIV

Here, Jesus tells us that unless we are more righteous than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law—the pastors and preachers of their society—then we will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Are you feeling the pressure yet? Are you hoping for something to relieve the tension?

If so, you may not like what comes next. Because Jesus follows these four sentences by continuing to raise the standard for what God expects from His people.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder … But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment … And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:21–22 NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27–28 NIV

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:31–32 NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” Matthew 5:38–39 NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43–45 NIV

And then, to top it all off, Jesus closes out this chapter with these words:

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 NIV

Here, Jesus is asking us to do what sounds impossible. He’s asking us to be more righteous than the holiest people we know. He’s asking us to never give in to our selfish desires, no matter how small they may seem to us. He’s asking us to be perfect like God is perfect. Who could ever live up to all of that?

If you’re tempted to say no one, then you’re almost right. Because we can’t do this. But there is One who did.

Jesus is the Son of God and our sinless Savior King. He showed up full of grace and full of truth. He was tempted in every way, but He never gave in. He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, and that’s exactly what He did.

He did what we couldn’t. He died the death we deserve. And now He is calling us to follow in His footsteps. To believe what He believed. To live how He lived. To love the way He loved. He knows we will miss the mark. He knows we will fail and fall short, but He asks us anyway. Why?

Because He is inviting us to total dependence on Him. We certainly cannot do this on our own. The good news is that we don’t have to. If we let Him, Jesus will continue to work on us until we become the kind of people who fully trust and obey all the promises and commands of God.

Jesus’ instruction in verse 48 isn’t to “do perfect,” but to “be perfect.” Jesus is calling us to become a new kind of person, one who doesn’t miss the mark, but instead strikes true. Because that’s what we were created for. To know Jesus, to follow Jesus, and to become like Jesus.

Life in God’s kingdom isn’t about following a bunch of rules. It’s about becoming more like Jesus.

Application: What “mark” are you trying to hit? What is the ultimate aim of your life? Put another way, how do you define success? For much of the world, success is some combination of making lots of money, climbing the corporate ladder, going on nice vacations, gaining influence online, and having a satisfying sex life. While those aren’t necessarily bad things, they’re a far cry from the way Jesus defines success. For us, success looks like being faithful to God and becoming like Jesus. So, is the way you’re currently approaching your school, relationships, and career more shaped by Jesus’ definition of success or the world’s?