"Think not that
I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish
them but to fulfill them. 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.
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.
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Why do people tend to
view the “law of God” negatively rather than positively? Jesus’ attitude
towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psalm 119: “Oh,
how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” For the people of
Israel the “law” could refer to the ten commandments or to the five Books of
Moses, called the Pentateuch, which explain the commandments and ordinances of
God for his people. The “law” also referred to the whole teaching or way of
life which God gave to his people. The Jews in Jesus’ time also used it as a
description of the oral or scribal law. Needless to say, the scribes added many
more things to the law than God intended. That is why Jesus often condemned the
scribal law. It placed burdens on people which God had not intended. Jesus,
however, made it very clear that the essence of God’s law – his commandments
and way of life, must be fulfilled. The law of God is truth and when we live
according to that truth it produces the fruits of righteousness, holiness,
peace, and joy.
Jesus taught
reverence for God’s law – reverence for God himself, for the Lord’s Day,
reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another
person’s good name, respect for oneself and for one’s neighbor lest wrong or
hurtful desires master us. Reverence and respect for God’s commandments teach
us the way of love – love of God and love of neighbor. What is impossible to
men is possible to God and those who have faith in God. God gives us the grace
to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to
act as he acts. The Lord loves righteousness and hates wickedness. As his
followers we must love his commandments and hate every form of sin. Do you love
the commands of the Lord?
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“Lord Jesus, grant
this day, to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, so
that all our thoughts, words and deeds may be according to your Father’s law
and thus may we be saved and protected through your mighty help.”
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