LESSON VIII.--AUG. 21.

JESUS AND THE LAW.--MATT. 5:17-26.

      GOLDEN TEXT.--Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.--MATT. 5:17.
      TIME, AND PLACE.--Same as last lesson.
      HELPFUL READINGS.--Matt. 22:34-40; Luke 16:15-18; Gal. 3:23-29; James 2:9-12.
      LESSON ANALYSIS.--1. Fulfilling the Law; 2. The Law Amended; 3. Duty before Worship.

INTRODUCTION.

      There follows a comparison of the new law of mercy with the old law of threatening; the old was transitory, this permanent; the old was type and [233] shadow, the new a fulfilment and completion; the old demanded obedience in outward action, the new was to permeate the thoughts; the old contained the rule of conduct, the new the secret of obedience. The command "Thou shalt not murder" was henceforth extended to words and feelings of hatred. The germ of adultery was shown to be involved in a lascivious look. The prohibition of perjury was extended to every vain and unnecessary oath. The law of equivalent revenge was superseded by a law of absolute self-abnegation. The love due our neighbor was extended also to our enemy. Henceforth the children of the Kingdom were to aim at nothing less than this,--namely, to be perfect, even as their Father in heaven is perfect.--Farrar.

      I. FULFILLING THE LAW--17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets. The words that Jesus had uttered in the preceding verses were so opposed to the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees that some of his hearers may have asserted that he was a destroyer of the law. He replies that he has not come to destroy them, but to fulfil. He does not say that he has come to perpetuate them, nor does he mean this. In what follows he shows that various sections of the old law shall be replaced by new ones. To fulfil is to complete its purpose. He was the end of the law. It was a "school-master to bring us to Christ" (Gal. 3:24), but "after faith is come we are no longer under the school-master." The law was a system of types and shadows of all of which Christ was the fulfilment. In the same way he fulfilled the prophets. Their predictions were fulfilled in him. It is strange that anyone should give the meaning "perpetuate" to the word "fulfil."

      18. One jot or one tittle .  . . till all be fulfilled. The Savior asserts in the most solemn manner that not the smallest portion of the law shall pass away until all be fulfilled. This implies that, when it is fulfilled, it shall pass. The types and shadows all found their fulfilment in the Lord when he died, rose from the dead, and established his church. Then "the handwriting of ordinances was nailed to the cross." "Till," says Dr. Schaff, "implies that after the great events of Christ's life, and the establishment of his kingdom, the old dispensation, as a dispensation of the letter and yoke of bondage, as a system of types and shadows, will pass away, and has passed away (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:13); while the spirit and substance of the law, i. e., love to God and man, will last forever." Jot or [234] tittle. Jot means the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, while tittle refers to a simple turn by which one letter is distinguished from another. The expression, "jot or tittle," was proverbial for the smallest part.

      19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments. The commandments of the law were the law of God until they were replaced by the new code given through Christ. He who violated the least of these, and taught others to do so, showed a spirit that would unfit him for exaltation in the kingdom of heaven. The Lord intended by these words to correct an error into which the Pharisees led the people. They divided the precepts of the law into lesser and greater, teaching that they who violated the former were guilty only of a trivial offence. The Romish church is guilty of the same error in distinguishing between mortal and venial sins. Where all are of equal obligation there can be no less and greater. When Protestants divide the commands of God into essential and non-essential they commit the same error. Least in the kingdom of heaven. The Savior does not deny a humble place in the kingdom to those who honestly stumble in this respect, but they shall be the very least, babes, never arriving at the full stature, or participants of its highest honors and blessings. Obedience under the law was an index to what a man would be under Christ. The text shows that the relative greatness of persons in the kingdom of heaven is measured by their consciousness with reference to the least commandments. To the great commandments, as men classify them, even very small Christians may be obedient; but it requires the most tender conscience to be always scrupulous about the least commandments.--McGarvey. This passage shows that, while the kingdom of heaven has no castes, and all have, therefore, the same opportunities, it has degrees. Those who are most conscientiously obedient will stand highest;--not those who say, "Lord, Lord," but those who do the will of the Lord.

      20. For I say unto you. The "for" shows that this verse connects itself closely with the preceding, and that the Lord was alluding to the scribes and Pharisees. Shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. These claimed to exceed in righteousness any others in Israel. They were very [235] punctilious with regard, to certain outward observances, but very negligent of the real spirit of the divine commandments. Yet they were revered by the people as the holiest of the nation. Yet he tells his disciples that unless they are more righteous than these they never can enter the kingdom. That righteousness was to be attained, not by self-righteous attempts at superior holiness, but by a complete surrender to the divine will, a dependence on the divine mercy, and a devout obedience to the commandments. It is the righteousness of those, all of whose sins are forgiven. In what follows the Lord developes the ethics of the new dispensation as compared with the old.

      II. THE LAW AMENDED.--21. Ye have heard. They had heard these things that follow out of the law. They did not have books, or copies of the law, in their homes, but they heard it read every Sabbath, in course, in the synagogue. By them of old time. Rendered correctly in the Revision, "To them of old time." The commandment which followed was spoken by Moses to the ancient Israelites. See Exod. 20:13; Deut. 5:17; Lev. 24:17. Thou shalt not kill. The reader will observe that this is one of the ten commandments. Christ does not leave it in its old shape, but amends it and gives it a now interpretation. Those who insist that the decalogue has been transferred, untouched, should note this fact. Danger of the judgment. The judgment of the civil court appointed to try men for murder. Every city had its elders, who formed a court. In every town of Palestine there was a local court consisting of seven judges, with the right to punish murder by the sword; while the Sanhedrim could also decide death by stoning.--Schaff.

      22. But I say unto you. Jehovah had spoken the decalogue to Israel, but Christ assumes the right to amend it. Such a claim is based only on that of divinity. He speaks as the "brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person." He does not abolish the law, but he amends it, and gives it a deeper meaning. Whosoever is angry with his brother. Jesus goes back of the murderous act, and forbids the anger and the reproachful words that precede it and are likely to lead to it. He not only condemns the overt act of murder, but the feelings that would lead to it. "Brother" [236] is used in a wider sense than natural relationship. He places the spirit of murder on the same level as murder and declares that such an one shall be in danger of the judgment. Shall say to his brother, Raca. This is a word of contempt, and means either, "empty head," or "spit out," i. e., heretic. Christ not only forbids anger, but angry words. Shall be in danger of the council. The Sanhedrim, the highest council of Israel. The "judgment" or lower court could inflict stoning and spiritual penalties. The Lord uses these terms to give an idea of the degrees of sinfulness, because they would be understood by his bearers. Thou fool. The Greek implies a stupid, impious fool. Hell-fire. The Revision gives "the hell of fire." The Greek is "the Gehenna of fire." The term Gehenna arose from the valley or gorge of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the Canaanites burned human sacrifices to Moloch. After the return of the Jews from the Captivity they made it a place of defilement where the refuse of the city was thrown. The name was applied to the place of future punishment by the Jews. The word is often used in the New Testament (Matt. 23:33; 5:29; 10:28; 18:9; Mark 9:43), and always denotes a place of future punishment. It is clear from this passage that there are different degrees of guilt, and that even the germ of sin in the heart condemns before God. The sin is not in the word or act as such, but in the motive and spirit.--Schaff.

      III. DUTY BEFORE WORSHIP.--23, 24. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar. This springs immediately out of the modification of the law, Thou shalt not kill, which required that there should be no anger or estrangement with a brother. Before the old dispensation was replaced by the new the highest act of worship was to bring a gift to the altar. Yet even this most sacred act must give way to reconciliation. If about to offer it, and the remembrance comes that a brother, one near to thee, a kinsman, a spiritual brother, a neighbor, hath aught against thee, leave the gift unoffered, go and make it right with him, and then offer thy gift. This shows that one guilty of wrongs to his fellowman cannot offer acceptable worship to God. The wrongs must be rectified before God will receive our worship. A part of our duty to God is duty to our fellowman. This places on the highest possible ground a duty that is often wholly neglected. Under Christ's kingdom it means that one who has mistreated another, wronged him in business, insulted him, used harsh or angry words to him, cannot worship acceptably in the house of God, or at the altar of prayer until he has sought to atone for the wrong. Reconciliation and restitution must precede the divine favor. He who sins against his fellowman is a sinner before God. [237]

      25. Agree with thine adversary quickly. By adversary is meant an opponent in a lawsuit who is supposed to have a just claim, in this case a creditor. The law of reconciliation, already given, requires that agreement shall be sought instead of litigation. Prudence also requires the same thing. If the suit is lost the results may be ruinous. Officer. The same as our sheriff. Under all the old laws debt could be punished with imprisonment.

      26. Thou shalt not come out from thence. From the prison into which he is cast when the case before the judge has gone against him. After the debtor was cast into prison he was held until the debt was paid, and if it were not, he remained in prison until he died. Farthing. A small, insignificant copper coin. The meaning is until everything is paid. The warning against lawsuits is clear, but there is a higher idea still. The Lord would warn us to make everything right before it is too late. Before the judgment there is a chance; after it there is nothing but the payment of the debt. This is impossible to those who are bankrupted. Roman Catholic expositors understand this passage of purgatory; Universalists use it to support their doctrine of final restoration; but neither "prison" nor "till " point to final deliverance. Compare 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.--Schaff.

PRACTICAL AND SUGGESTIVE.

      THE HEART.--As the state can only regard an overt act, Moses inquired into the motive only for the purpose of determining the criminality of that act when committed. Christ, laying down the law of individual character, forbids that anger of the heart which is ever the inspiration of a violent and and bloody hand.

      HELL-FIRE.--The Gehenna of fire. This refers to the valley of Hinnom, a narrow ravine with steep and rocky sides, near Jerusalem on the south. In this valley the idolatrous Jews formerly conducted the worship of Moloch. Here infants were Sacrificed by being put into the arms of the idol, a brass [238] image heated by a great fire within. After this practice ceased, the valley was made as filthy and vile as possible; a fire was kept constantly burning in order to consume the rubbish carried thither and it is said to have been made a place for the execution of criminals. Hence this place came to signify the place of the damned.--Mede.

      THE GIFT AT THE ALTAR.--Reconciliation with the aggrieved brother must come before worship but not take the place of it. Reconciliation does not render worship unnecessary. Discharge of duty to men does not absolve from duty to God. One truly reconciled to his brother is readiest to come to God in his appointed way.

      JUDGE.--Any reasonable compromise is better than to go into the courts. Litigation is often ruin to both parties; especially can nothing be gained and everything be lost when the judgment would go against you. Be reconciled and keep out. Be reconciled to the Elder Brother that the decision of eternal judgment may not go against thee.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS.

      1. Point out that Jesus stands forth in this discourse as the Lawgiver of the Kingdom as Moses was of the Jewish commonwealth. 2. Bring out his relation to Moses and the prophets--not to destroy, not to defeat, or prevent one purpose of their utterances, but to fulfil, complete. In him every type and shadow met, and the prophets fulfilled; show how the end of the law was accomplished when his kingdom was established. 3. Bring out the error of dividing God's commands into least and greatest, essential and non-essential. 4. Show that there are degrees in the kingdom of heaven and upon what they are based. 5. Point to Christ legislating, his modification of the sixth commandment, what changes he made in it, the law of the kingdom that the heart shall be right. 6. Bring out the lesson that he only can offer acceptable worship who does his duty to his fellow-beings. 7. Note the lesson on civil differences, the warning against going into court, and its eternal application. 8. Note the lessons for you; keep the little commands and the great will be kept; keep the heart aright; keep the tongue from sin; keep from injury to thy brother; keep out of earthly courts; keep free from eternal judgment.

Source: Barton Warren Johnson. The Christian International Lesson Commentary for 1887. Des Moines, IA: