By Dr. James Ricks
Jesus Demands Obedience to God’s Laws
Did Jesus want more or less obedience to the written law than the Pharisees? Did the Pharisees have higher, tougher standards than Jesus? One issue is divorce. The religious leaders of Israel saw in the law the ability to divorce one’s wife. Christ told them that while that law did exist, it only existed because of the CARNALITY AND WEAKNESS OF MEN. Christ’s standards were higher than the religious leaders and are based on the original intent of God.
Mat. 19:5-9, “And said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
“They said to Him, ‘Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?’
“He said to them, ‘Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.’” (NKJV)
Pragmatism and the welfare and safety of women allowed for divorce laws in Israel but, Jesus had higher spiritual standards than the Pharisees. Paul also followed the same higher spiritual standards. Paul told believers to remain with pagan spouses if it was in any way possible. However Paul said if they do leave the marriage they are not bound. Note I Corinthians 7:27. One cannot force an unconverted mate to honor the marriage vow. The Sermon on the Mount reveals a number of issues in which Jesus’ standards are deeper and higher than the leaders of Israel. Christ told his disciples that they should obey the deep spiritual intent of the law including every jot or tittle of the law.
Mat. 5:18-19, “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.”
Christ says that if we teach that the law is done away we are wrong. He demands we try and keep the law, the written law of God. He surprisingly told his disciples that they had to be more obedient than the super religious Pharisees.
“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” (Mat. 5:20).
Jesus then commences to show his followers what he means by deeper and truer obedience to the law. The first issue he tackles is the law on murder. He says you cannot just not physically murder someone, but you also cannot murder him in your thoughts and in your mind and in your heart.
Mat. 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you;” (Mat. 5:43-44).
Jesus raises the bar. He set standards so high that it literally changed the world. Most religions say support your followers and smite the infidels. But not Christ. He set higher standards of obedience to God’s Laws than even the Pharisees. Love your enemy? Wow! What was his goal for his disciples?
“That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mat. 5:45-48).
Jesus explains that when we obey His laws in a spiritual manner we can become more like the Father. This certainly is raising the bar. We cannot hate no matter the offenses. One should avoid evil people but not hate them, it is not good for our character and well being. Then Jesus talked about adultery. He not only said do not commit adultery but do not commit adultery in our hearts. If one looks upon a woman (i.e., pornography) in order to commit adultery in the mind he is also guilty. Note verse 28 of Matt 5. Again a higher standard existed with Christ than the religious leaders.
True Repentance and Obedience Require a Higher Standard
The true followers must understand God’s Laws at a higher and deeper level to fully repent and follow Jesus. Believers have a higher standard to uphold even than the religious leaders of the world. Jesus said that about His world.
Mat. 5:13-14, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
In a society led by the Pharisees and scribes Jesus said his followers had to be the salt, the wonderful spiritual flavor, and the light. Does that sound like his followers had a free pass with regard to the law and relied on grace alone? It sounds like they were expected to be the light of the world, the ones setting the highest standards of conduct and repenting the deepest when they failed. Then after repentance, becoming the true lights. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” which are the same commandments that Christ himself delivered to Moses on Mt. Sinai and kept with the deep, true intent of God.
We should look at the Fifth Commandment regarding honoring our elderly parents. The Pharisees and scribes had set up extra laws which allowed a child to avoid taking care of his parents. The Corban system allowed them to pay off the religious leaders instead of taking care of their parents. This added law allowed for the breaking of one God’s Ten Commandments. Jesus was very critical of the entire system.
Mark 7:9-13, “He said to them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.” But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban’ [a gift to God], then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.’”
Jesus insisted on all the laws being obeyed, and not allowing people to avoid one which also enriched the religious leader’s system. The corruption of the Pharisees is obvious. This revelation from Jesus came from an accusation of the Pharisees with regard to hygiene. Were the Pharisees really concerned with the disciples’ hygiene? No! This was really about the extra laws and traditions which were instituted over the years by the Pharisees and scribes since returning from exile. They required a ritual hand washing before eating. It was about man made laws and traditions. They are found today in the Talmud, Mishnah and Midrash.
Can we see why Jesus was so upset with them? Read Matthew 23 to see a clear picture of Christ’s view of the religious leaders of his society. It was not just their hypocrisy: they really did not obey the written Law of God as they should have. They found ways to exempt themselves as well from true obedience in some areas. Pharisees were not simply not practicing what they preached but their works were far short of what God required. Some of them were self-righteous show offs and others were evil.
Mat 23:2-3 says, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” (NKJV)
Jesus is saying obey the Pharisees only when they accurately apply the scriptures but do not follow their personal examples. The leaders found ways to exempt themselves from some of the harsh rules they hung on the people. The leaders of Judah like the rest of this world were deceived regarding the real, deep meaning of God’s Laws. In the future the entire world will really know God and His high standards.
Mat. 23:4-5, “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.”
They put on a good show of religiosity and obedience, but Christ’s standards for obeying the written law––not just their extra rules and laws––was far greater and higher. Never did Jesus repudiate the written law, just the Pharisee’s manufactured regulations. Paul reiterated this in a letter to evangelist Timothy.
1 Tim. 1:8, “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully.” Paul understood that some of the leaders of Israel were improperly applying the Laws of God. Jesus maintained the highest standards of lawful obedience to the Law for us. Grace was never an excuse to break God’s laws, see Romans 6:1-2.
Christ’s New Covenant Make the Law More Binding, Not Less
Jesus came to offer us a path to repentance and true change of character with the help of God’s Holy Spirit. Through the power and grace of God we believers are being led to place the spiritual goodness of the Law in our hearts.
Heb 8:10-11 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
“None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” (NKJV)
Jesus raised the standards to much higher spiritual levels. He wants us to have the law––its righteousness and love––inside of us. Wow! Someday in the future kingdom, the entire world will really know and understand God’s Laws and ways as well.
