“You have heard it said…”

Jesus did not minister inside the boundaries of the box for ministry that had been set at the time He came to the earth. This week we will look specifically at ways He served outside of the box in connecting with the people that He came to serve. For today let’s first consider the framework that Jesus established for His ministry here.

Near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “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.” He went on to tell us that as long as there is life here on this earth nothing will change in the law that has been given. He said, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”

Over time the teachers of the law had redefined and added to the law so much that it became a heavy ball and chain that followers carried around with them. Their focus was heavily on outward conformity to the law and all its “added” requirements, while Jesus taught inward conformity (the spirit of the law). Jesus came to bring a change in the lives of people, from the inside out not the outside in. He taught that “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Through the rest of the fifth chapter of Matthew we find a formula repeated several times, “You have heard it said… But I tell you…” Jesus’ use of that formula paints a contrast of the outward and the inward working of the law in our lives.

Take some time today to reflect on the words from Matthew 5. Be ready to respond to what His Word is teaching you today.