Do you ever explain a story or explain your position only to have there be a pause? A quizzical eye? You can tell your delightful tale did not land as you hoped. A clarifying statement is then made and then there is the, ohhhhhh, sure. Yes. I get that. Wait a minute. So what you are telling me is my story didn’t communicate my point? I heard it in my head. I thought it was clear.
I’m back in Matthew 5 today and we have been meandering our waythrough the first 16 verses. When you understand the words he uses, the beginning of this sermon has deep meaning in each of our lives, right now. Poor in spirit does not mean financially. Mourning over sin in our lives, grief in the cost. And so forth.
And we get to verse 17. I’ve been reading this over and over, been memorizing this. And trying to see how this passage flows with the rest of the chapter. First, just let me say, we all hit road blocks when we read. Second, it would be super easy to jump over a passage that doesn’t make a whole lotta sense given the rest of the chapter. Here are the verses.
““Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:17-19 NASB1995
This picture comes to my mind so I’ll share it. Remember the mount of transfiguration? Here..
“Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.”
Matthew 17:1-3 NASB1995
Rather than trying to draw myself into a pretzel over these words, i guess I wanted to just share with you that i struggle with passages. And this is where it gets fun. I look at cross references. I look at the Greek and the hebrew words. I read in context. And finally I go to good commentary.
Here’s what i do know. I do know that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures. He is the prophecy fulfilled. All the promises in Jesus are yes and amen. And this is a good reminder for me to handle the word carefully and with love. Thank you, Jesus, for each of your words. And to you, reader, keep going, even when the reading gets complicated or confusing. Truly, it is worth it all.
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