Most of us have heard or read the passage in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus says three times, “You have heard… But I tell you…”
It sounds as though he is contradicting the law. Except, in the passage immediately preceding this one, he says he has come to completely fulfill the law.
I recently watched a video from The Bible Project that clarified what Jesus intended with these three examples. In each case, as he explained the wisdom behind the law, Jesus was essentially clarifying the difference between what the law gave them the right to do, and a higher standard – God’s wisdom, knowing what is right to do.
Organized religion in Jesus’ day had established an elaborate system of rules. One could do whatever he wished, as long as he followed the rules. Jesus exploded that system.
He said it wasn’t about the minimum standard, about what you had the right to do within the rules. Instead, it was about the bigger, more difficult standard of doing what’s right.
Jesus shifted the conversation from freedom to responsibility. He said we were responsible for knowing him (God) and then doing our best to conform to his image.
Our culture isn’t so different. An incomprehensible labyrinth of laws defines permissible behavior. Sadly, many of us learn from an early age that we have the right to do anything within those laws. Incredible resources are devoted to law enforcement, courts, and lawsuits – all designed to discern and refine and reinforce our rights.
Society works best, however, when we focus less on our rights, and adopt the standard of what’s right. It’s easy to understand why.
Laws can tell us our rights.
We were created in the image of a God who values what’s right.