Matthew 5:21 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago….
The problem faced by the people listening to Jesus was the contradictory statements they had heard from the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Who was right when it comes to understanding and applying the various laws given by God in the Old Testament? Should they listen to Jesus or their teachers?
Jesus opposed the traditional and distorted interpretations given by the Pharisees. He never denied the importance of what was written. Jesus did denounce the oral traditions, misinterpretations and misapplications of God’s Word by the teachers.
The reason for Jesus’ position is simple. The Pharisees reduced the impact of the Law by making the restrictions less constricting and the permissions more universal. Their efforts at applying the Law were an attempt to make it conform to their thoughts on what God expected of his people. The Pharisees want the law to be attainable by the people. If the Law was easily obeyed then they would be able, of their own efforts, to meet the righteous standards of God.
So the Pharisees limited or restricted the commandments on murder and adultery to the act itself. Oath taking was restricted to those made in the name of the Lord. Neighborly love was restricted to their fellow religious brethren. The permissions in the Law were extended by them to cover a broader scope than originally intended. Divorce was allowed for virtually any reason the husband could conceive. Retribution became not an act of the courts for punishment but was made an act of revenge for the victim.
It is never easy to obey the letter of the law. That fact is the reason God gave us his laws. He wanted us to recognize the impossible demands we faced, and he wanted us to see our need for Him.
