3rd Week of Lent – Wednesday
Matthew 5: 17- 19

In the 400 years of the absence of prophets in Israel, the Scribes and Pharisees became the interpreters of the law. All Jews were subject to the first five books of the Bible, which was commonly called the Torah and also to the Mishna which was a commentary on the Torah and also to the Talmud which was commentary on the Mishna. That’s a lot of interpretation; twisting people in a thousand knots of ‘you can’t do’s.’

Jesus clearly wants us to get back to the truth of God’s law and that’s why through the rest of chapter five He will say six times “you have heard it say…but I say to you.” He is not only going to expose the selective misinterpretation of the law by the Pharisees, but He will challenge His disciples to go beyond it, in the way they live it. That’s what it was for Jesus; not something written on stone, but a living law.

In contrast, Jesus words were plain and uncomplicated. His actions were liberating and perhaps this got the Pharisees really uptight. And so the whisper campaign began; “this man is here to ‘tear apart’ the law and the traditions.” Jesus, in answering them, clearly states He is not here to abolish or ‘kataluo’ (tear apart) the law, nor is He here to ‘oikodomeo’ (build any more). He uses the word pleroo, which means to fulfill, as in ‘to complete’.

So what does all this mean? Jewish law had three aspects; the Judicial aspect, which comprised of rules and regulations, the moral aspect, which told you how to conduct yourself and finally the sacrificial aspect which governed the worship of God.

So let’s have a look as to how Jesus plans to ‘fulfil the law’. In the ceremonial aspect of the law, the atoning act for sin to be forgiven,was the sacrifice of a lamb. This ‘atoning act’ of spilling blood was a way of indicating the seriousness of sin. Sin was considered to be a serious business! Serious enough that blood had to be spilt and a life had to be exchanged. When Jesus says that He has come to complete the law, to fulfill it, He does it by becoming the very sacrifice required for sin to be atoned.

So, by dying on the cross Jesus sheds His blood so that our sin is washed away. He is clear, He is not here to abolish anything, but by His very example He will go way beyond the law; and not only in a general way, but in great detail. This is why Jesus says, “not one dot, not one iota of the law” will be wiped away and He fulfilled it with three nails and a cross!

Often, our goal as Christians is to determine how much I need to do to qualify for heaven. But the real narrative in our mind is not the maximum, but the minimum! Lent is a time when we intensify our calling to follow the Lord. So the question we should be asking in Lent is how much more should I do to express my love for the Lord and not what is the minimum I can do and get away with.

The metanoia of Lent is a change of mind and heart; not a temporary rearrangement of the ‘spiritual furniture’ in my living room!

Written on behalf of the Holy Spirit

Fr Warner D’Souza may be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/Pottypadre/