Sermon on the Mount

Jesus said that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. The Sermon on the Mount illustrates how this could be so. The heart of the sermon was the message that God is not interested in the letter of the Law but the spirit of the Law. For the Jews, who had been so accustomed to equating their actions with righteousness, the idea that attitudes of the heart could be more reflective of righteousness (or lack thereof), was extraordinary. The Beatitudes also disputed conventional wisdom, as Jesus elevated the poor, mournful, persecuted, meek, etc. over other qualities that were outwardly advantageous. The point again being that there was more value in internal blessing than external. So Jesus fulfilled the Law not only by keeping the letter of it, but by opening the eyes of the Jews to what had been the underlying intent of the Law all along. When the Law was given it's true meaning, it was fulfilled!

Tomorrow's reading: Matt. 6:5-7:29; Luke 6:37-42