The Sermon on the Mount (Continued); Magnifying the Law

Notes

1. Taken in its broadest sense, the expression "The law and the prophets" would include all the Old Testament Scriptures, and must, therefore, include the Ten Commandments, which are the sum of all moral requirements, and by the transgression of which all ceremonial precepts, ordinances, and all local, civil regulations came into existence. "The prophets" includes all the Heaven-sent instructions reproving God's people for the transgression of the law, and expounding its great truths, and explaining its exceeding breadth and depth and height. That Jesus referred to the great moral law is shown in His reference to two of its commandments. See Matt. 5:21, 27. He came not to destroy the law, nor the commentary upon it by the prophets which His Spirit had inspired. 1 Peter 1:11. He came to "fulfil" the law. The only way a moral law can be fulfilled is by keeping it to the full. John 15:10; Gal. 6:2. This Jesus did, and then in His love died to meet its claims, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in His followers. Rom. 8:4; Titus 2:14. He fulfilled in part the prophecies. Eternity only can fulfil them all; for they prophesy of the eternal kingdom of God. William W. McLane, Ph.D., D.D., well says in the Homiletic Review of October, 1908, "Christ did not come to destroy the law ⟦of?⟧ the prophets, but to fulfil by obedience both in His own person and in the person of all who believe and obey. . . . God in Christ and in His cross fulfils His own law of love and most graciously compels forgiven men to fulfil the same law."

2. A "jot" (the Hebrew letter yod, answering to our letter i) is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. A "tittle" is a distinguishing point of a letter, which serves to distinguish one letter from another, as the difference between our capital E and F. Some Hebrew letters are much more alike, and the absence, or presence, of the distinguishing point would make great difference in the meaning. God's law could not be changed in one jot or tittle till heaven and earth should pass away; and "the earth abideth forever."

3. The idea is not that those who break the law shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven; but that the judgment of the kingdom of heaven will call, or count, those characters who break God's law and teach men to do so as the least of all, "of no esteem in the kingdom of heaven." They will have no part there.

4. Not "by them of old time," but as in the margin and in the American Revised Version, "to them of old time." So also in verse 27. God said it in His law. This law forbids every sin against God; it includes every cherished thought and impulse which would lead to killing. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer." 1 John 3:15.

5. "When one who professes to serve God, wrongs or injures a brother, he misrepresents the character of God to that brother, and the wrong must be confessed, he must acknowledge it to be sin, in order to be in harmony with God. Our brother may have done us a greater wrong than we have done him, but this does not lessen our responsibility. If when we come before God we remember that another has aught against us, we are to leave our gift of prayer, of thanksgiving, of free-will offering, and go to the brother with whom we are at variance, and in humility confess our own sin, and ask to be forgiven."—"Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing," pages 89, 90.

⟦6.?⟧ God does not wish His children to mutilate themselves. That brings Him no glory; but He does mean to say that if we have anything about us as dear as the right hand or the right eye, which is grieving His Spirit and keeping us back from the kingdom of God, we must let it go, cut it off, cast it from us. ⟦And,?⟧ to carry it further; if the church of Christ have members ever so great, and they are causing her to stumble, and they can not be won to the truth, the church should cast them out, rather than let the whole body be corrupted.

7. "Our Saviour did not, however, forbid the use of the judicial oath, in which God is solemnly called to witness that what is said is the truth, and nothing but the truth. Jesus Himself, at His trial before the Sanhedrin, did not refuse to testify under oath. . . . If there is any one who can consistently testify under oath, it is the Christian."—"Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing," page 100.

8. "But let your speech be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one." A. R. V. The context shows the admonition to be against unnecessary oaths. There are those who are so anxious to make their words emphatic that they use all kinds of adjurations.