Bible scholars often highlight a technique used by New Testament authors: framing a key point between two similar ideas. This approach effectively emphasizes the significance of the message they want to convey.
Jesus used a framing technique to illustrate the importance of his role in fulfilling the Law.
The first part of the frame is that the new community of His followers was to illustrate God’s glory through their attitudes and actions.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5.16).
Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus will glorify His Heavenly Father by how He behaved, what He taught, and how He thought. This is to be our activity too.
Jesus frames his teaching on fulfilling the Law with a powerful call to have a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5.20).
The Pharisees were the “separated ones” who sought to live their lives completely by God’s law.
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross has an interesting description of his journey from the observance of the law to the grace that he found through Jesus Christ. Rudy also points out that what Jesus was getting at is that outward observance does not touch the inward attitude.
When Jesus talked about exceeding scribes and Pharisees in their righteousness, he was telling us we have to have the inside correct as well as the outside.
What’s Inside the Frame?
The “frame” of Jesus’ teachings is key. We reflect God’s character by aligning our inner thoughts and outward actions with His.
Just as the moon shines only by reflecting the sun’s light, we glorify God by reflecting His attributes – righteousness, justice, love, grace, and more.
The frame of Jesus’ teaching is most important, but that doesn’t mean that the picture within the frame is unimportant.
In fact, in the picture, Jesus makes it very clear that he has not come to abolish the law with his teaching, but rather he has come to make the law full, to bring it to completeness.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
“For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5.17-19).
The Old Testament law is a magnificent piece of ancient literature all by itself. The scribes who lovingly copied the Old Testament have given humanity a tremendous gift.
When Jesus said that not the smallest stroke of the law would be done away with, he was referring to the supreme excellence of the Hebrew Scriptures.
However, that document is not complete until it affects the inside of a person’s heart and conforms them to the image of God. Jesus came to fulfill that mission as only the long-awaited Messiah could do.
Knocking Unheard
Douglas Steere relates an old story of a small boy puzzling over Holman Hunt’s great painting that shows the figure of Jesus knocking at the door of a house. A weed-clogged door that is only able to be opened from the inside.
The child asked his father why the people didn’t open the door and then, with a cry of discovery, he gave his own answer. “I think I know why they don’t open the door. They’re all down in the basement and they don’t hear him.”
The basement, where the gentle knocking is inaudible, is so expressive of the human condition as we know it today. We have so many distractions that we don’t pay attention to the voice of the Savior through His word and whispers.
Jesus provides us with a tremendous opportunity. We can reveal God’s character and have an inner life that reflects God’s love, joy, peace, and more.
It is surely worth every effort we make to be attentive and responsive to His voice.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 