The Law of the Kingdom
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Matthew 5:17-48, Matthew 13:47-52, Psalm 40:6-8, Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:8, Mark 12:28-34
BY Rebecca Faires
Our relationship to the Old Testament law is changed in Jesus, who fulfills the law and clarifies the ethics that characterize the kingdom.
My last name is Faires. It’s pronounced “Ferris.” Yes, like Ferris Bueller. Or “ferrous,” as in something containing iron. Not “fairies,” like a group of woodland sprites. Nor is it “fairs,” like the plural of an event involving both cotton candy and hogs. And the plural of Faires (no matter how I try to avoid it by patiently writing out “The. Faires. Family.”) just has to be Faireses. This is a mouthful and, honestly, more of the letter “s” than I’d like to see before I’ve had my morning coffee. This occasionally leads to us being introduced not as the scribes, but as the “The Fairesees.” And I want to tell you that we (a little bit) deserve it.
No matter how well I comprehend the doctrines of grace, I still give myself a smug little “well done” if I manage to maintain a holy composure for one entire church service. It’s so easy for me to get distracted from the goodness of the Lord by the purported goodness of Rebecca. Are you, too, tempted to revel in your own rule-following and self-proclaimed goodness?
The Pharisees were excellent rule-followers. They loved rules so much they made up extra ones. They had rules for everything. And they didn’t just stick with the Ten Commandments. They had a multitude of additions, subpoints, and expansions. And they were serious about each of them. They instructed others that this was how people merited heaven: by keeping the Law and the traditions.
And works-to-righteousness legalism is so appealing on the surface, because finally it feels like there’s something we can do to secure salvation for ourselves. The problem with legalism is that while it seems to uphold the law to a serious degree, it actually undermines it.
This is why Jesus was opposed to the supposed “righteousness” of the Pharisees. But He rejected their legalistic notions in a peculiar way. You’d think that the way to reject legalism would be to swing to the opposite perspective: antinomianism, or the rejection of rules altogether. The Pharisees thought the keeping of the Law would save them. Antinomians thought the law was not worth a second thought, and that grace would save them no matter what degrading sins they could dredge up.
But Jesus said: “I did not come to abolish [the Law] but to fulfill” it (Matthew 5:17). Jesus rejects both a legalistic and an antinomian use of the Law. The law of God—not the heaped-up additions of men—must be fulfilled to the fullest degree. The law must pierce our hearts and change not only our external behavior, but our every thought and attitude. The law must be fulfilled perfectly: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). What an impossible standard!
The Pharisees, in truth, made little of the true Law, but made much of their own law-keeping. Christ came to fulfill the Law perfectly, so that repentant Pharisees and antinomians like you and me could have peace with God.
56 thoughts on "The Law of the Kingdom"
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Today has been rough. I just wanted to sit and do my study in peace but doing a virtual school day with my 2 oldest and my youngest has now learned how to climb and get into everything. My mom called during nap time so didn’t get it done then. I am irritated and frustrated and then I read Matthew 5:22. It was telling me to speak life and my words can kill and here I was getting angry with my kids.
Praying that I keep those words with me during this season!
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37 years ago today! May 5, 1984 I accepted Jesus into my heart at the young age of 17 years old! I’ll never forget it.
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So often I feel that the 3rd piece of SRT teaching comes in reading all of your comments each day. Thank you all for faithfully sharing what God puts on your heart. Seems like we really could boil all of our walk with Christ down to loving God and loving others. The more we do the first, the better equipped we are to live out the latter. God bless each one of you, sisters!!!
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Really enjoyed the breakdown of the sermon on the mount at the end of today’s reading. Something that stood out to me was that Jesus didn’t say, “It was written (blank), but I tell you (blank).” He said, “You have heard it said (blank).” It wasn’t that the Old Testament law was contrary to Jesus’s principles, it was that people, religious leaders, etc. had twisted and convoluted it to mean something it was never supposed to mean. Whenever something in scripture confuses me or something someone says about the Bible doesn’t sit quite right with me, I’m glad I can always come back to Jesus for Him to clear things up! He leads and guides me in understanding.
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I couldn’t have said it better than Churchmouse. So mothers of young children please take time to read her comment. I remember those days and there are times when I wish I could go back to when they were little. My children are 20 and 15. And oh… These arms long to hold them as they fall to to sleep. Thank you Lord for blessing me with 2 beautiful children that love YOU!
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The main thing I got out of today’s readings is the focus on our hearts. If our hearts are truly His, then our behavior, desires, etc. will flow from our love for Him rather than out of a sense of obligation. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Mat. 6:21. “Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Ps. 37:4. He changes our hearts when we delight in Him!! May Jesus be our deepest treasure always!! Then our hearts will line up with the law!!
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Churchmouse, love the bottom line and your words this morning. All the scripture pointing to what our God desires, not burnt offerings, but reverence for what is Holy to our God. Micah 6:8 What the Lord requires of us, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Lord help me to honor you in all of these no matter what the day brings, focus my eyes on you alone and my heart, mind soul and strength is loving you in all I do.
Erb, think you for your words this morning praying for you this morning His peace around you. Isaiah 4 is so brief, the smoke reminded me of the Arc and the cloud of God leading the Israelites. I loved in verse 5 and 6 “over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and a shade from the heat of the day and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain.” Like Jesus, our Shelter, our Hiding Place covering us. To God be all glory. His best to you all this day Sisters. Love and joy, mercy and grace like a river. -
Dear Sisters, thank you for all your words of wisdom this day! You really add to my understanding and give me strength. Have a wonderful day!
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