Questions arise.

Do we follow the Law or not? Are we required to follow the Law better than the Pharisees in order to enter heaven? Is it ok to be a least in the kingdom if we are at there anyway? What exactly has to be accomplished before the Law disappears?

To guide preparation for this Bible lesson I encourage you to use the following study questions to guide you. When you discover something please post a comment so others can benefit and continue the thread with their own comments.

Question 1: What is the Law anyway? (and what is the difference between the Law and covenant?)

Question 2: What does it mean to fulfill something in the Jewish world? (verse 17)

Question 3: What is it needs to be accomplished before the Law disappears? (verse 18)

Question 4: Why does Jesus (and Matthew) change from using “Law” in verses 17 and 18 to “command” in verse 19?

Question 5: Is our righteousness obtained through a strict observance of the Law (like the Pharisees) or through some other way? (verse 20)

List other verses throughout the Bible that seem to contradict Jesus message.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets” Jesus said

Jesus wouldn’t have said something like that out of the blue, he would have said it if he thought something he had just said might have been misinterpreted. So for this Lesson let’s consider that the salt and light discussion to his disciples had something to do with the law and the prophets.

1. (the Law) Salt was considered a seal for a covenant.
Read Leviticus 2:12-14, Numbers 18:18-20, 2 Chronicles 13:5

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia online

Owing to the fact that salt is referred to in the Bible as symbolizing the covenant between God and Israel (see Biblical Data, above), its importance is particularly pointed out by the Rabbis. They interpret the words “a covenant of salt” (Num. xviii. 19) as meaning that salt was used by God on the occasion in question to signify that it should never be lacking from sacrifices.

The scriptural and historical evidence indicates that Jesus was telling his disciples that they were representative of a new covenant and he was afraid they might have misinterpreted the Law and Prophets. Read Hebrews 10:15-24

Other things to consider:
- Contrary to popular opinion there is no evidence in the bible that the symbolism was linked to salt as a preservative – salvation.

-More recently salt symbolized wisdom. Read Colossians 4:5-6,

-According to Wikipedia salt also represented the Torah

Salt was declared to be necessary in every meal-offering, in which it takes the place of the blood in the animal sacrifices (Lev. ii. 13; but comp. Ezek. xliii. 24). In the Talmud salt symbolizes the Torah, for as the world can not exist without salt, so it can not endure without the Torah (Soferim xv. 8).

2 . (the Prophets) Isaiah prophesied and the Jews thought that light symbolizes Israel’s mission to the nations

Read Isaiah 42:6 and cross referenced passages Isaiah 49:6, 51:4, 60:1, 60:3; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47, 26:23

According to the Judaism 101 website

It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel and our mission to be “a light unto the nations.” (Isaiah 42:6). The sages emphasize that light is not a violent force; Israel is to accomplish its mission by setting an example, not by using force. This idea is highlighted in the vision in Zechariah 4:1-6. Zechariah sees a menorah, and G-d explains: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit.”

Jesus’ message must of burned in the ears of the Jewish leaders and teachers of the Law who heard his sermon. Jesus was telling his misfit bunch of disciples that THEY were a sign of a covenant from God and that THEY had the mission of carrying the gospel to the world.

You can imagine the excitement, confusion, etc. when the disciples heard a message they could hardly believe…was this something beyond what they were raised to believe?

That’s why Jesus quickly 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.

His message was clear…the law and the prophets all pointed to this moment in history when all would be fulfilled in Jesus.

NOTE: Please comment below when you have additional references, thoughts, information to share with the rest of the class.

Shalom

These three words were my take-away from three days of leadership training. Not that everything else wasn’t good information is was just more of the same from previous training events. I probably even heard these three words in training before but it never struck me the way they did that day.

What a simple rule for Christians.

When we take stock of what occupies our thoughts we will likely find an inventory of passions, fears, interests and distractions. These thoughts are the ones that determine what we do. A necessity of being human

But, when we consider what consume our thoughts we will discover our idols. The idols that consumes our energy will guide who we are not just what we do. Here we will find the birthplace of addiction and depression unless we allow our energy to be guided by love for God.

Make quick count of the things we humans tend to idolize: ourselves, people, family, food, things, abilities, money…all of which are destined to fail us in a temporal world. No wonder we are a depressed society. When our idols fail our energy also fails.

“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Jesus of Nazareth ( Matthew 22:37)

When we allow our thoughts to be consumed with the love of God and love for God our energy will never fail.

Shalom

Bible class audio for August 22, 2010 “Salt of the Earth and Light of the World”
Download audio file (0822_092752.MP3)

Bible class audio for August 15, 2010 “The Blessings of Jesus (Remix)”
Download audio file (0815_091733.MP3)

Bible class audio for August 8, 2010 “The Blessings of Jesus”
Download audio file (0808_091710.MP3)

Bible class audio for August 1, 2010 “The Blessings of Jesus”
Download audio file (0801_091428.MP3)

Bible class audio for July 25, 2010
Download audio file (0725_091856.MP3)

Bible class audio for July 18, 2010:
Download audio file (0718_092104.MP3)

Bible class audio for June 20, 2010:
Download audio file (0620_092004.MP3)

Bible class audio for June 13, 2010:
Download audio file (0613_091627.MP3)

Servants who have approached the master with a poor spirit, acknowledging how broken and unrighteous we are without him and mourning over the sins we have committed, will have the master bring them into his kingdom and comfort us.  Only in this state can we with meekness bring our power under his control and crave the righteousness which he has promised to fill us with.   What a joy  for the  servant who is comforted and filled, who possesses a share of the master’s present kingdom  and all things on the earth becomes his.

But the question that has vexed forgiven servants for centuries is this:  What do you do once you are free?  What do you do with this new freedom?  How do you respond to when your master has made you a co-owner in the kingdom?

Jesus not only meets us where we are… he showers us with blessings.    He gives us citizenship in the kingdom and makes us rulers over the earth.  How do we respond to such great mercy?

Jesus’ answer…you extend it to others :

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:7-10 TNIV)

Our bent is to do the opposite.  Because we are heirs to a kingdom and filled with righteousness our temptation is to look down on everyone else, we try to put OUR righteousness on display.   The merciful servant puts HIS righteousness on display.  The first four blessings deal with conditions or how God meets us,  the second four deal with how we meet others, with mercy, a pure heart, extending shalom, and enduring persecution.

Study Notes

Pure in Heart:

1.  The Jews understood purity as an external ritual through written and oral law

2.   The enemy of a pure heart is not impurity but hypocracy (internal vs external)

3.  The measure of a pure heart is not what stays in but what flows out.

Jewish purification:

The Hebrew Bible has many rituals of purification relating to menstruation, childbirth, sexual relations, keri (nocturnal emission), unusual bodily fluids, skin disease, death, and animal sacrifices. Modern mainstream Judaism is based on a combination of the Hebrew Bible and Jewish oral law, which includes the Mishnah and Gemarrah (together comprising the Talmud) in addition to other rabbinic commentaries; this oral law further specifies regulations for ritual purity, including obligations relating to excretory functions, meals, and waking. The regulations of biblical and oral law generally prescribe a form of water-based ritual washing in Judaism for removal of any ritual impurity, sometimes requiring just washing of the hands, and at other times requiring full immersion; the oral law requires the use of living water for any ritual full immersion – either a natural river/stream/spring, or a special bath (a Mikvah) which is directly connected to one. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual_purification

Read Luke 11:37-52

Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean [same Greek word used in Mt 5:8 for pure] the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41But give what is inside the dish [j] to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. (Luke 11:39 TNIV)

Illustration:  marriage.  Contrast acting like husband and wife with a deeply committed heart.

Other teachings of Jesus on an impure Heart Mark 7:18, Matthew 23:25-26, Luke 11:39 Luke 18

“Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’?  For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)

He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ” Mark7:18-23 TNIV

Augustine- the battle for a pure heart is not against impurity but hypocrisy.   ”Only he who has shrugged off human praise and in his life is concerned just to please God.”  Not living your life on the outside.

1.   Military Commander.  Leaders returned from the war emulating the leadership styles that won the war.  They implemented a top down dictatorship style influencing from their position as a leader instead of inspiration.

2.  Chief Executive Officer.  CEOs lead through vision, goals and objectives passed to subordinates to follow.  This is a top down leadership style which depends more on execution of a strict plan than

3.  Coaches.  Recently, leaders have viewed themselves as coaches of a team striving together for a win.  In a sports obsessed society this works well because it focuses on the teams strengths and weaknesses forms

4.  Poets.  Currently more leaders are realizing the power of words and the inspirational value of empowering subordinates.  A leader poet knows with a properly formed message subordinates will be empowered to creatively achieve the organizations goals. See also: Motivation 3.0

…all the people hung on [Jesus'] words (Luke 19:48 NIV

Maxwell Leadership Bible, Revised and Updated

The Leadership expert, John Maxwell, brings an in-depth look at God’s laws for leaders and leadership.

The content of the current Maxwell Leadership Bible is revised and updated to incorporate Maxwell’s works since the first release of the Maxwell Leadership Bible.