The peh Factor
“Seeking balance in a polarized world”
As Christians, our primary authority does not with Moses and the giving of the Ten Commandments. I know that is almost a heretical statement. American society (and many societies in the world) are based on the Big 10, especially that last six as I mentioned in my last blog. That being said, we are Christians not Mosesians. Even though it is part of our history, we align ourselves with the Apostle John’s statement in John 1:16-18,
From his (Christ’s) fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
As those who have prioritized the teaching of the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament (we interpret the Old through the eyes of the New), we reflect upon and accept that which was written in Hebrews 1:1-4:
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (NRSV)
The words of Jesus, the WORD become flesh (John 1:1-14), take precedence over all else, ie., Moses, David, Elijah, Peter, Paul, etc. Even though all scripture is “inspired by God” (1Timothy 3:16-17) we all place higher priorities upon some over others (remember what I said about The Canon within The Canon in my first blog of this series?). As followers of Jesus I believe that means I prioritize Jesus above all else.
So, what did Jesus say about the law? In Matthew 5:17-20 we read,
“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. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
It seems that the one who is our authority held the “law and the prophets” in very high regard. He did not come to do away with, “abolish” the old but to fulfill them.
That opens the question, “What did the ‘Law and the Prophets’ desire to accomplish? When I go back and read the chapter that precedes the giving on the 10 commandments I read:
…and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and holy nation.’ These are the
words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” Exodus 19:6
Or as it says a bit later in Leviticus 19:2
“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
The laws God gave his people in the Old Testament were to be the avenue by which they became a ‘Kingdom of Priests, a holy people’ (holy doesn’t mean perfect but set apart from all other things for a special purpose) serving as a mediator between God and humanity and humanity and God.
Tragically, the law did not accomplish this purpose. As I have said before it either led to brokenness, “I have failed to do God’s will once again,” or to arrogance, ?aren’t I wonderful? See how well I keep all of God’s commands.”
So, how do we balance these two thoughts, ie., Jesus is greater than the law of Moses but Jesus also supported the law of Moses? I believe we balance these thoughts by hearing afresh the transformative words of Jesus concerning the Law. In Matthew 22:34-40 he said
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Jesus refocused The Law that initially told us what we ‘shall not’ do, into a very positive statement of what we shall do! He changed the focus of living from micromanaging each and every human behavior to redirecting human motivation for all behavior. As the Apostle Paul said,
Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. Galatians 3:24-26
Or, as he says a few verses later in 4:4-5
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent for his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to deem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
The ultimate description of what God will do in us through the work of His Holy Spirit, is the changing of our motivational attitudes forever as recorded in Galatians 5:22-23
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
When we are living as God’s children, when we are loving God with all we are and loving our neighbor as we would want to be loved, as character of God’s family is being developed in us and being the motivational force behind all we do, we will be living in an area where there “is no law!!”
If you are like me, you know you are there yet. I don’t live perfectly as a Child of God. I fall short. Remember, that famous verse on forgiveness in 1 John 1:9 was written to Christians:
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This same John who reminded us of the need for confession and forgiveness is the one who also reminded us of our hope in the reality of who we are now and the goal toward which we are growing. He said:
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3
Growing with you in the love and grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Paul
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