I received a question last week from members who were doing a Bible study and came to Matthew 5:17-20. As I began to draft a response, it grew larger and eventually became a message. So I thought I would share it with you. Let's read the entire passage, then break it down verse by verse:

(Matthew 5:17-20 NKJV) "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

(Matthew 5:17 NKJV) "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets." Jesus wanted to make it very clear that He did not oppose what God had given to Israel in what we now call the Old Testament. Instead, Jesus came to free the Word of God from the misunderstandings imposed by the Pharisees and Scribes, the teachers of the law. The Old Testament is still relevant today.

Over the centuries, religious leaders had added their own interpretations and traditions to the law of Moses, often making it burdensome for the people to follow. They created an "oral law," known as the Talmud, or the teachings of the elders, which was passed down through the generations and then taught alongside the Word of God as if it were the Word of God itself.

For example, the Pharisees taught that it was defiling to eat without first ceremonially washing one's hands up to the elbow, and they condemned Jesus' disciples for not doing this (Matthew 15:1). But Jesus said that nothing going into a man defiles him, but that which comes out of his heart. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. (Matthew 15:20). The teaching of the Pharisees was a direct lie that had been added to the word of God, taught in place of the word of God, and was then being used to correct others.

If your knowledge of God is full of requirements for how to dress, how to wear makeup, what you should eat or drink, and what music to listen to, then you have been deceived by man-made traditions that someone added to the word of God. Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty. When the spirit of legalism is present, there is always bondage.

There is also a level of immaturity that is perfectly acceptable to God. We do not expect two-year-old children to behave like they are ten. They fall down more, and we gladly help them up. Similarly, God understands our level of maturity. We don't have to be perfect, though we should all strive to be. But something that we should all share is to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. Jesus aimed to refocus attention on the heart of the law -- a call to live in relationship with God, rather than simply following a checklist of rules.

(Matthew 5:18 NKJV) "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." The jot and the tittle were small marks in Hebrew writing, like half of a letter. Jesus here told us that not only the ideas of the word of God are important, but also the words themselves—even the letters of the words—are important. This shows us how highly God regards His word. Every detail matters. Jesus fulfilled the law entirely. He was the first sinless man and never broke a commandment.

The least of these commandments... There is a hierarchy of commandments. Apparently, some are more important than others. Jesus made that clear when He answered one of the Scribes:

(Matthew 22:35-40 NKJV) Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Those are the two greatest commandments. Whereas washing your hands or eating a catfish might not have carried the same weight as loving God and loving your neighbor (Leviticus 11:9-12) (Note: Be sure to read further about dietary laws).

Also, to interpret this correctly, we need to understand the Old Testament commandments in light of the New Testament. Jesus Christ is the bridge between the two Testaments, and everything passes through the cross and His resurrection. Some Old Testament laws passed through the cross untouched, some things changed, and some were abolished.

Some examples: The moral commandments, such as "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13) and "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15), pass through the cross untouched. The Bible does not mention those being changed or abolished, so they continue. Also, tithing is not mentioned after the cross; therefore, it continues unchanged.

However, the law requirement of circumcision was changed after the cross and became circumcision of the heart. The law of circumcision was changed, and the Bible tells us about it (Romans 2:29).

Laws, such as animal sacrifice and the Passover Lamb, were abolished as Jesus Christ was sacrificed as the perfect Lamb of God without blemish. Dietary laws, such as those regarding clean and unclean food, were also abolished. The Apostle Paul wrote:

(1 Corinthians 10:25-27 NKJV) "Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; for "the earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness." If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake."

Once, after a 40-day juice fast, Sylvia and I became vegans for a few months until we started developing boils from vitamin deficiencies like zinc and iron, which are primarily found in meat. We decided that it would not be good for us in the long run to ignore the fact that we had boils on our arms while trying to convince ourselves that we were eating the healthiest we ever had. Now, we could have taken supplements, but a balanced diet does not require pills...

Obviously, something was missing from our diet, so we resumed eating a limited amount of meat. Then we went to lunch with some of our vegan friends, and they had turned the diet into part of their religion and began judging us for eating what, for us, was healthier. So, I want to be clear: Christians are free to eat and drink whatever is sold in the marketplace, including a plate of bacon and catfish, with a glass of wine. So eat what you like, let others eat what they like, and keep your diet out of your religion. The Apostle Paul actually called this a doctrine of demons:

(1 Timothy 4:1-5 NKJV) Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

All commandments must be passed through the cross of Jesus. Even then, don't let your personal preferences mix with God's commandments and begin to teach people perverted Scriptures.

Common perverted teaching examples:

* What clothes you can or can't wear: Ties, Pants, Jeans, Dresses

* What Makeup or Jewelry that you can or can't wear

* What hairstyles, beards, or hair colors that you can or can't wear

* Whether you can or cannot dance, sing, or worship in silence

* What you can or cannot eat

* What types of musical instruments are "godly": Guitars, drums, keyboards, amplifiers

* What styles of music are acceptable to God: gospel, contemporary, country, rock, jazz...

* Political parties: News flash: He doesn't belong to yours

* Bible translations: He doesn't read yours. He wrote it and does not need it translated

All of these things are personal preferences and should not be taught as if they were in the Bible. They are not without twisting and perverting Scripture to fit their purposes. Of course, you should dress modestly and not have your private parts exposed to the elements like a baboon, but even that is just one of my personal preferences.

(Matthew 5:19 NKJV) shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven... Here, Jesus addresses His disciples as teachers. Teachers can be under pressure to tell people what they want to hear and not offend them, but they will ultimately pay the price for lying. James and Paul warned about this:

(James 3:1 NKJV) My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

(2 Timothy 4:3-4 NASB) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Apparently, there will be a status or honor system in heaven. That does not mean that you will not make it in or be excluded from salvation, but your influence in the kingdom can be diminished, as with less respect or a lower rank.

In Mark, James and John asked to be seated on the right and left side of Jesus when He came to His kingdom, and the other apostles became angry with them. Jesus told them those seats were not His to give them, for they were reserved for others (Mark 10:35-41). So some will indeed be seated closer to Jesus than even James and John.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we find the story of the "Rich Young Ruler" who came to Jesus and asked Him what he must do to be saved. Jesus told him this:

(Matthew 19:16-19 NKJV) Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "

Notice that all those commandments pass through the cross and are still valid today. Murder, adultery, stealing, lying, etc, were bad then and still are. That is what the man needed to do to be saved, but he pressed Jesus for more, perhaps wanting to be praised for his valiant efforts:

(Matthew 19:20-22 NKJV) The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect, then sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." That made the man sad. So, what would happen if, later on, Jesus met another man like this one but who cheerfully became a giver? Then that giving man would have treasure stored and waiting in heaven when he arrived, and the sad rich man would not. Is that inequality in heaven, or just a matter of choices made now and consequences received later? Like sowing seed and reaping a return.

We will each receive our own reward, for although we work together, we are rewarded individually. Also, our reward is not given because of our gifts, talents, or even success, but according to the labor we put in. Like the parable of the talents, what did we do with what we were given? That is one of the last things Jesus said in the last chapter of the Bible:

(Revelation 22:12 NASB) "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."

Investing in the Kingdom of God has its rewards. Some people will arrive in heaven rich, while others may not have the same abundance because they did not send any ahead. Jesus said:

(Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The rich here may end up poor there, and the poor may be rich. Because it is not how much you give, but how that compares with what you have left. The poor widow at the temple who gave a penny actually gave more in God's eyes than the wealthiest person there that day (Mark 12:41-44). Jesus is coming, and His reward is with Him to render to each according to what they have done. That poor widow will undoubtedly have an abundance of treasure in heaven.

(Matthew 5:20) For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees... Something we need to understand here is that righteousness also passed through the cross. The Scribes and Pharisees here were like white-washed tombs, clean on the outside and saying all the right words, but their inside was full of dead bones.

(Matthew 23:27-28 NKJV) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Jesus raised the bar on righteousness. The Old Testament said "thou shalt not murder," while the New Testament says if you hate your brother, you are a murderer (1 John 3:15). Jesus also said:

(Matthew 5:27-28 NASB) "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Jesus did not make the law easier, but thankfully, there is forgiveness. It's about what's in your heart. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest of the Old Covenant prophets, and he undoubtedly surpassed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees:

(Luke 7:28 NKJV) "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

Those who have received the Holy Spirit enjoy a direct relationship with Jesus Christ in the present age of grace. We have greater access to God's revelations today than even the prophets of old. As believers, we can experience His presence and guidance in ways that most of them did not have access to.

That is what I could pull out of these four verses.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please open my mind to Your Scriptures and help me see the big picture through Your eyes. Thank You for another wonderful day. I love You and want to serve You with all my heart. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!