Our gospel is a continued except from Jesus’ infamous ‘Sermon on the Mount’.
Within the scripture,…
- the crowd has heard the Beatitudes.
- the crowd has been told to be a light that shines into the darkness and leads the lost to God. (The Darkness & The Light / Jesus: Rebellious, Refining Light)
- the crowd has been told to be precious salt preserving Christ’s mission and improving the world. (SALT Shaker)
But Jesus’ tone has shifted.
Jesus denounces the rumor that he came to ‘abolish’ the law.
The Torah, teaching, is the first 5 Books in the Hebrew Bible (and Old Testament).
The Torah includes the Ten Commandments and the remaining legal code.
Who enjoys the law? Depends on the situation.
According to Martin Luther and our Lutheran tradition, the legal code serves three purposes:
- Civil Law and Order
It is a guideline for healthy interaction with God and neighbor while maintaining good order (and boundaries). In essence the legal code restrains us, especially from killing one another, due to the consequences. Honestly, in the words of Brandy Clarks’ Strips “the crime of passion aint worth the crime of fashion” (lol). - A Mirror Reflecting Our Short-Comings
Who enjoys seeing themselves in the mirror in the morning, without hair and make up done? NO ONE. The legal code is that mirror, which reflects to us the sins, failures, and short-comings we are reluctant to recognize and acknowledge. - Points us to Christ
Although the third use of the law is debated, after looking into the mirror, it points us to our need for God’s love, mercy, and grace through Jesus the Christ.
Jesus did not abolish the legal code, but intensified it while rebelling against the non-essentials. Read the rest of this entry »
