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The fulfillment of the intention of the Law & the Prophets.
In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus proclaims that he didn’t come to abolish the Law & the Prophets (the whole of the Old Testament and it’s vision for life), but rather he came to fulfill it.
He then goes on to say that every single bit of the Law will come to fulfillment and that those who would seek Heaven-on-Earth would have a righteousness which is greater than the Scribes (a profession) and the Pharisees (a sect).
Righteousness is an odd word that sometimes gets lost in translation.
Righteousness = Right. God-like. The truest thing the created order could ever fathom.
The Scribes & the Pharisees had a sit-on-your-hands kind of righteousness. They abstained from tangible evil according to the stipulations of the Old Testament, but is this what God really wants?
Not that I’m aware of.
So let’s get this straight.
The Law was put into place to help the people seek God well.
The intention of the Law was NOT so it could be followed as some litmus test of oddly regulated behavior.
The intention of the Law was to form a community of people who actively sought the presence of God in the world.
The intention of Jesus and his proclaimed Kingdom is to form a community of people who actively seek the presence of God in the world.
The righteousness that Jesus requires, the righteousness that the intention of the Law produces, is about mercy and justice. Compassion and fairness. Love and hope and peace (Shalom, as it were).
Jesus is saying that the Law was meant to help broken people find God,
and Jesus came to help broken people find God.
To find the way to life. Life that’s beyond death and better than the selfishness we experiment with daily.
Jesus calls that way of life The Kingdom of God/Heaven.
And because our brokenness meant that the Law wasn’t able to help us find God, Jesus beat our brokenness into submission so that we may seek righteousness.
How are you being called to seek the Kingdom today? You’ll find it where you find brokenness in need of mercy.
