Reflective Bible Study

If you ever wondered if Jesus said something that seemed to contradict Himself, perhaps in this passage, you may find the answer. Personally, I don’t think there is a contradiction here, but when talking to or watching how the majority of Christians live today, it makes me wonder how they understand Jesus’ words in our passage.

The passage we are focusing on in this episode, is found within the large portion of Matthew’s gospel that contains Jesus famous “Sermon on the Mount”, and the part of the sermon we will be focusing in on comes after the opening “blessings” section which is often called the Beatitudes.

Following the beatitudes, Jesus shares how He wants His followers to live as examples for Him, pointing people towards God the Father. Immediately following this, our passage begins. Our passage for this episode is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 5, and we will read it from the New International Version. Starting in verse 17, Jesus continues preaching, saying:

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

We’ll stop reading here, even though it is tempting to continue. Following this set of verses, Jesus takes several sections of the law and elevates them exponentially. Jesus tells us in the verses that follow that the intent of the law is to guard our thoughts and our minds from doing evil – and not just giving us the excuse that the law is only relevant for our external actions.

But in the portion of Jesus’ sermon I read, there are a number of things that stand out in my mind as being interesting. The first two verses we read bring out one big thing. In these two verses, which are verses 17 and 18, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

The reason these two verses stand out is the same reason that I opened today’s episode by wondering. If you ask most Christians living today what the role of the law is, they probably would answer towards something in the past. Many would even quote Paul from Romans 6:14 that we are not under the law but under grace. Unfortunately, most Christians stop there, not realizing the point Paul was making was not a license to sin, but that we are not destined to sin.

The paradox I see in Jesus’ words is that it seems as though many believers blend the result of abolishing and fulfilling, essentially making them the same thing, but reading Jesus’ words more closely, it is easy for us to see the difference.

Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the law. Jesus parallels abolishing by using the word disappear, saying that not even the smallest portion of the law will disappear until a certain thing happens. In a potentially confusing way, Jesus actually shares two things – one before the phrase about the law and one after. “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Jesus gives a clear time for transition, and while some people might think Jesus is using an either/or approach, I see within this verse two parallel conditions that must happen: When heaven and earth disappear, everything will have been accomplished, and before this happens, nothing will change about the significance of God’s law. We can read briefly about this event near the end of Revelation where God will make all things new and “recreate” the heaven and earth – which will ultimately restore it to perfection like He had originally done in the beginning before sin infected humanity in Eden. Jesus’ words tell us that until this happens, not the tiniest portion of the law or prophets will disappear.

Then what does it mean to fulfill? Another word we might use here is “satisfy”, or we could easily say “accomplish” which would echo the parallel idea. To fulfill, satisfy, or accomplish the law means that Jesus came to live under the law’s requirements. As Jesus lived, He walked confidently within all of the law’s requirements which then tells us that He fulfilled them. This does not mean that He erased them, because that would invalidate the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

So then, is the law still the measure of entrance into heaven? Yes.

In verse 20, Jesus tells the people, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The law still is a measure of entrance into heaven, but it would seem as though it is not the only one.

In verse 19, we read something interesting and challenging for many people living today to accept. Between these two emphases on obeying the law, Jesus shares a short phrase that we might miss if we are not paying attention to it. Jesus says, “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

There are two groups of teachers who are in the kingdom of heaven – and one group, while being called least, has still entered. This entrance into the kingdom of heaven is based on one thing: being under grace, which is another way of saying that we have accepted Jesus’ gift. The death Jesus faced for breaking the law when He had not done so allows Him to extend His righteous and perfect life to us. All we must do is accept the gift He gives us and we will be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus’ gift to us does not give us a license to sin. Jesus’ gift to us gives freedom from our past sins.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open up these challenges by saying, intentionally seek God first in your life. If you have not already done so, accept the gift that Jesus offers to each of us. This one decision is the most important one you can ever make in your life, and it is the only decision you will not regret having made when looking back at your life while living with God for eternity.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself and choose to teach others about everything God has said and done for us. Don’t minimize the law’s relevance, but focus on the law through the lens of God and Jesus’ love for each of us, and share what you learn with those in your life in responsible and productive ways. At the very least, model what you learn in how you live your life so your life can be a witness for others.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or ignore where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Occasionally, an event comes around where two different gospels include details that I want to include. It is that way in this event. While the disciples were walking through some fields with Jesus on the Sabbath, they decided to pick some grain to snack on because they were hungry. While this seems insignificant to us today, it violated a clear boundary line of acceptable vs. not acceptable things that should be done in the minds of the Pharisees living in the first century.

Matthew’s gospel, which is our focus passage for this episode, shares in greater detail Jesus’ counter argument to the Pharisee’s challenge, but I also feel like it would be a mistake to exclude Mark’s punch-line for this event, because it neatly summarizes Jesus’ key point so well. Because of this, while we will primarily read from Matthew’s gospel, which includes more detail, at the end of the passage, we’ll jump over to Mark to include his big conclusion for this event.

With that said, let’s read what happened. Our passage for this episode is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 12, and we will read it from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 1, Matthew tells us that:

¹ At that time Jesus was walking through some fields of grain on a Sabbath day. His followers were hungry, so they began to pick the grain and eat it. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, “Look! Your followers are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath day.”

³ Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and the people with him were hungry? ⁴ He went into God’s house, and he and those with him ate the holy bread, which was lawful only for priests to eat. ⁵ And have you not read in the law of Moses that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple break this law about the Sabbath day? But the priests are not wrong for doing that. ⁶ I tell you that there is something here that is greater than the Temple. ⁷ The Scripture says, ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.’ You don’t really know what those words mean. If you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing wrong.

What I find interesting is that Jesus almost completely changes the subject. When the Pharisees challenge Jesus because of what His followers were doing, Jesus responds by focusing their attention on events in the past: focusing first on David, before then focusing on the priests who minister in the temple on the Sabbath. If the Pharisees are going to bring a technical challenge to Jesus, it seems as though Jesus technically challenges them back.

Jesus summarizes the intent of the law nicely when He wraps up these two points by saying in verses 6 and 7, “I tell you that there is something here that is greater than the Temple. The Scripture says, ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.’ You don’t really know what those words mean. If you understood them, you would not judge those who have done nothing wrong.”

The point for us to grasp here is not that the law is irrelevant, because Jesus does not say that. Jesus says that in matters where the law stands in opposition of helping someone, the law takes second place in favor of helping the person needing help. That is what Jesus is saying in His quote. We could also summarize this by saying that kindness is more significant than ritual and symbolism.

Ritual and symbolism gain their meaning and value from looking at the past and looking into the future. The past brings value to these things when we look back and see how they helped those who came before us, and we look into the future and see what these things point towards.

In this passage, the Sabbath has been placed in the spotlight. Its significance comes from looking back and remembering creation, which the Exodus 4th commandment points us to do, and from looking at how God is a God who saves His people, as the Deuteronomy 4th commandment points us to do. The Sabbath as a symbol also gains value in the future because it reminds us each week that God is still present and working, and that He is preparing a place for us and will come again to bring us to Him.

For many living in the world today, the Sabbath has almost no value. While there are some people in the world today who look forward to taking a day each week to rest and focus on God, most people simply discount it as something that was pushed aside with Jesus dying on the cross.

However, while the Sabbath has value on the day itself, it also has value in orienting our lives throughout the week towards God. Every week, those who look forward to Sabbath experience the excitement and expectation of the Sabbath coming, and this is able to bring joy to the rest of the week. This would be similar to many people looking forward to the weekend when they are stuck in the middle of a difficult workweek. The Sabbath blessing extends both forward and backwards through time, both in the past as we have been able to rest and recharge, and into the future as we look forward to the next time we can rest, recharge, and remind ourselves of what God has done for us.

In contrast, kindness is only valuable in the present. Promising kindness in the future or remembering kindness that was done in the past is nice, and it may prompt us to change our actions in the present, but choosing to not be kind today in many ways invalidates the kindness that happened before.

All the kindness in the past means very little in light of the present moment’s opportunity for kindness.

I think this is what Jesus is trying to say here: in the present, God wants us to show kindness, but when remembering the past and planning for the future, we should focus on the truth of God’s teaching, and on the foundation He built for us.

The gospel of Mark nicely summarizes Jesus key wrap up statement for this event in chapter 2, verses 27 and 28:

²⁷ Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The Sabbath day was made to help people; they were not made to be ruled by the Sabbath day. ²⁸ So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.”

The Sabbath was made to help people. The Sabbath was mean to be something that people could stand on as a foundation to help their lives. At that time, the Pharisees and religious leaders had set up so many rules surrounding the Sabbath that it was no longer looked forward to. A Sabbath full of rules is dreaded not longed for.

This is not what God intended. God wanted the last day each week to be the high day, where people focused in on Him, on being with their family, and on everything He had blessed them with. I see nothing in the scriptures to change this focus for God’s special day. Jesus’ words here don’t diminish the Sabbath, they point to its true intent.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life. If you haven’t chosen to stop for a day each week to focus on God and spend time with your family, then choose to do so now. While in the Bible, the Sabbath meant a specific day of the week, if your life doesn’t allow you to take that day right now, don’t abandon the principle. Choose a different day, and if your life situation changes, then move towards aligning the principle found within this truth with the whole foundational truth of the fourth commandment.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, choose to take some time this week to pray and study the Bible for yourself. If you haven’t read or studied the Sabbath out before, choose this week to look for ways that Jesus interacted with the Sabbath. Our passage in this episode is one example, and there are many more throughout the gospels.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

All throughout the gospels, though we probably could extend this to include all of history, there has been a tension and debate over what God really wants. While many of us would be quick to say that God wants our hearts, it becomes less clear when you ask what that really means and what that looks like.

In the Old Testament times, outside of the Jewish nation, there were cultures sacrificing any and every sort of animal, cultures sacrificing humans, cultures that self-mutilated themselves, which is another way to say they cut themselves or harmed themselves in any number of ways, and cultures that did things that I don’t really feel comfortable repeating or even thinking about. In the Old Testament Jewish nation, there was sacrifice, but a clear boundary was given between what was acceptable sacrifice vs. what was not acceptable. This boundary was found within the writings of Moses, which they called “the law”.

When the New Testament writers were alive, there were fewer culture wars happening, but between the Roman and Greek cultures, there still was a huge gap between what they taught and what the Jewish nation taught. However, still at the heart of both cultures was sacrifice – either to an assortment of gods for the Romans and the Greeks, or to the One God for the Jews.

However, when Jesus steps on the scene, it seemed that He taught something different than all of the previous cultures. Though He was Jewish, the angle He saw the Old Testament writings clashed with the view the religious leaders in the first century had.

In our passage for this episode, we find one such place where Jesus challenged the religious leaders, and this place gives us an answer for what God really wants from us – specifically from Jesus’ perspective, and this helps us frame how Jesus lived His life.

This event is included in three of the four gospels, and I have picked Matthew’s version of it to focus on, because it includes a key phrase that the other two gospel writers missed adding. Our passage for this episode is found in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 9, and we will read from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 9, Matthew tells us that:

⁹ When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,” and he stood up and followed Jesus.

¹⁰ As Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Jesus and his followers. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ followers, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² When Jesus heard them, he said, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means: ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.’ I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners.”

Before getting into how Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ challenge, we learn that Jesus had just invited Matthew to be one of His followers. Perhaps as a “thank you” or because it was getting late, Matthew invites Jesus (and a number of his tax collector friends) over for supper.

However, like is very typical in the gospels, the religious leaders are watching, and like legalistic spies, the Pharisees are ready to challenge Jesus at every turn because He intentionally lived His life differently than they did. Inviting a tax collector to be a disciple was a shocking thing for Jesus to do, but it seems as though the Pharisees passed over this detail, perhaps because they didn’t realize the invitation was given, or maybe because they knew that a single person can change. Instead, the Pharisees focused most clearly on why Jesus then chose to hang out with Matthew’s tax collector and sinner friends, since this was very unusual and not something acceptable in their minds.

In a subtle challenge to Jesus, they ask Jesus’ followers a question instead of Jesus. Perhaps this is now late enough in His ministry that the Pharisees have realized Jesus is difficult to trap, or maybe they ask the followers simply because it was the cultural way to do this at the time. Either way, the question they ask is interesting, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (v. 11)

The implied question hidden within their question for Jesus is, “Jesus, if you hang out with the lowest people, you are liable to be tainted by them. And whether it is simply your reputation that is tainted, or your actions and/or attitude, don’t you realize it is better to stand apart and to call others to stand apart with you. Shouldn’t we separate ourselves from those who are actively living in sin?”

But whether the disciples don’t know the answer, or whether Jesus knows what is up and walks over at the perfect time, He has an answer for them: “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.’ I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners.” (v. 12-13)

Now on one hand, Jesus’ response is insulting to Matthew the host, and all of his friends. However, also tucked within Jesus’ response are two very profound ideas.

First, Jesus shares what God wants from us. Quoting from the Old Testament, Jesus shares the idea that God wants kindness more than animal sacrifice. All the symbolism in the world is worthless if the attitude is wrong. First, the attitude must be right, and only then can the symbolism be meaningful as God had intended it to be.

Secondly, Jesus shares a direct mission of His to invite sinners and not “good people”. Perhaps this is because the good people at the time did not need an invitation, but what is more likely the case in all points in history is that the people who self-identify themselves as “good” have chosen to stop their growth journey and have stopped being teachable.

“Good enough” is the enemy of where God wants to take us. God has so many amazing things in His mind for each of us, but if we settle for “good enough”, we stop short of the plan God has for our lives.

In contrast, those who recognize they are sinners are more likely willing to learn, grow, and be helped. Those who know they are sinners are able to understand they need help, and Jesus is more than willing to step in to help and invite them into the restoration plan God put in place to help them.

It is the same way for each of us today. Good enough is the enemy of God’s great plan for each of us, and it is up to us to be willing to be taught, helped, and led forward in our lives and our understanding of God and His plan for each of us.

With that said, as we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, continue intentionally seeking God first in your life and choose to recognize your reality as someone who needs God’s help. While it is not pleasant to think of yourself as a sinner, only when understanding that you have sinned and have failed God will you be able to fully understand and appreciate what Jesus did for you on the cross. Someone who believes Jesus died for others when they didn’t need His sacrifice for them will ultimately miss out on salvation, believing they were good enough when they ultimately were not.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, continue to pray and study your Bible – specifically the gospels in this case – for yourself to learn more of how much God and Jesus love you. Discover in the pages of the Bible a God who was willing to give everything for you because He loves you that much! Never let anyone get in the way of you discovering this God for yourself, and never think of yourself as not needing’ Jesus sacrifice. Jesus faced the cross for you because He loves you more than pain and death!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or settle for simply “good enough” when God wants to lead you towards the great life He created you to live with Him!

If you have ever wondered how Jesus preached, you may be surprised to learn that the gospel writers tell us. Both Mark and Luke share an event that includes a phrase and a healing that demonstrate Jesus’ uniqueness and how He communicated differently from the other religious leaders at that time.

Perhaps this event stands out in my mind because I am a speaker who is constantly looking to develop and grow his skills, and in my mind, there is no better person to learn from than Jesus. While I cannot be identical to Jesus in this regard, there definitely are things in this passage worth paying attention to with regard to communicating effectively.

However, whether you are a speaker or not, or whether you have a message you want to share or not, let’s dive into this passage and discover some things that made Jesus’ teaching and preaching different from the other teachers and preachers in the first century. Our passage for this episode is found in the gospel of Mark, chapter 1, and we will read it from the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 21, Mark tells us that:

²¹ They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ²³ Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ²⁶ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

²⁷ The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”

Let’s stop reading there. Did you see what I saw that made Jesus’ teaching different?

It’s found in verse 22, where it says, “He [Jesus] taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”

Even before the plot thickens with the demon-possessed man, the people recognized that Jesus was different. While I don’t know this for certain, I imagine the teachers of the law in this synagogue used a few verses from the scripture, before using other rabbi’s explanations to build their message. In this way, they are simply repeating those who came before them.

However, Jesus likely shared a portion of scripture before sharing a truth about God, God’s love, a parable-story, or some other deeper thought. I imagine Jesus sharing scripture as a way to describe God, rather than sharing scripture before sharing what others think about that scripture.

Also, the verse says Jesus spoke with authority, which I might be tempted to think simply means that He spoke confidently, but then we have the demon-possessed man showing up which shifts the focus of this event.

It appears that this healing happened to back up what the people were already thinking: specifically that Jesus spoke with authority. Not only did Jesus sound different when speaking, He communicated so powerfully that demons obeyed Him.

This leads us into the next verse, verse 28, which says, “News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.”

I’m sure if you saw a miracle like this, you would spread the word as well!

Skipping down a few verses to verse 32, which happened that evening, let’s continue:

³² That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. ³³ The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴ and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

This event focuses in on Jesus’ power to heal the sick and demon-possessed. In the verses we skipped over, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law who had a fever, and these two healings prompt a steady stream of people bringing their sick relatives to Jesus to heal.

Of note is that word spread that afternoon about Jesus, but the people waited until after sunset to bring their friends, family, and relatives who needed help. Jesus didn’t shy away from healing on the Sabbath, since He healed the demon-possessed man in the morning at the synagogue, and Peter’s mother-in-law in the afternoon, but the people waited. It wouldn’t always be this way, but in these early months of Jesus’ ministry, the people wanted Jesus’ help in a way that would not upset the legalistic culture of the Pharisees and religious leaders.

Also, it is amazing that the first demon – with a crowd of witnesses present – would validate the claim that Jesus was God’s “Holy One”. It is one thing to discount the disciples’ belief, and the belief of the crowd, but when Satan’s angels make that claim, it is worth taking note.

Part of me wonders why Jesus would stop the evil spirits from speaking following this event, but I have a few thoughts about why this might be.

First off, Satan is a master liar, so everything that he or his angel’s say is suspect. He doesn’t have to lie, but he can easily choose to do so. This fact immediately makes whatever he says irrelevant, because whether it is the truth or a lie, it cannot be trusted.

Secondly, Jesus is interested in the focus and glory of these healings to go to God. He did not heal or cast out demons to get recognition for Himself; He was continually pointing people upward to God. While the demons were stating the truth, they were trying to take the focus away from God and place it onto Jesus.

Thirdly, the people had a popular belief about who the Messiah would be and what His role would take. However, this was not an accurate picture of the type of Messiah Jesus came to be. With a large enough crowd too early in Jesus’ ministry, the people’s preconceived ideas could derail what Jesus wanted to do in favor of them pushing for their belief in who they thought He should be. If this happened, Jesus would have been the cause of a massive uprising, and the Romans would have sent a portion of their army to quickly squash what was happening.

Jesus needed time to help people understand He was not like any of the other self-claimed messiahs that had come before, and that His view of the Messiah role was much broader than the Jewish stereotype.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open these challenges by saying, intentionally seek God first in your life. Regardless of what evidence you use to support your belief in Jesus, keep Him as first and most significant in your life. Your future self will thank you when looking back on what happened from the lens of eternity.

Also, as I always and regularly challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself in order to learn more about who Jesus is and what He is like. The gospels are the best place to learn about Jesus’ character, and the rest of the Bible draws our attention onto who Jesus really is and how God has directed history to focus on Jesus!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!