The Messiah begins his first major discourse with a reversal of our usual values. Happiness is reserved for those who mourn, who are persecuted and insulted. Belonging to the kingdom of heaven brings a sure hope and joy that outweighs all our tears. That’s why the Injil is such “good news” (see 4:23 and note).
But the divine law also plays a major role in this discourse, and Jesus teaches it here with unparalleled depth.
The Continuity of the Torah and the Prophets
Jesus didn’t come “to abolish the Law” (5:17). This Law (the Torah) had been in place for more than a thousand years, and all the prophets upheld it. God does not change (Numbers 23:19), thus the Messiah did not come to change or make the Law lighter, in contrast to what we might think! That he came to “fulfil” the Law, means firstly that he observed it without fail, thereby demonstrating its perfect justice (Hebrews 4:15). It also means that, above all, Jesus himself was the fulfilment of all that the Law proclaimed and predicted about the Messiah (Luke 24:25-27).
The Law Demands Perfection
Jesus neither abolishes the Law, nor restates what it says. The Jewish people had known the Law for a very long time. But Jesus’ unique way of teaching the Law takes it to its logical conclusion, to reveal its deeper meaning. The Law, as Jesus teaches it, is not designed to govern a country; rather it serves as a standard against which man’s heart is measured. For “The Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7), and the heart must be able to love even our enemies (5:44). The Law that Jesus the Messiah teaches is perfect because it demands perfection of the human being: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48). Impossible? Certainly! That’s why we need a saviour.
Translated and adapted from the commentary of the book
L'Injil de Jésus le Messie, Excelsis, 2021