Not

“until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law”  Matthew 5:18

Not – Do we actually believe what Jesus says?  Or do we listen to the words and then unintentionally modify them so that they are not so radical?  This verse is an example of our subtle ability to smooth the meaning; to make it fit our version of being a Christian.  But Jesus is quite clear.  In fact, the Greek word translated “not” is very strong.  It is ou me, a combination of two negatives.  It’s like saying “Not by any means” or “No way”.

In this era, we often think that the Old Testament somehow stopped being relevant when Jesus came.  But look at the verse again.  The time frame is not until the resurrection.  It is until heaven and earth pass away.  What God told us about Himself and His expectations is just as relevant today as it was in the days of Moses.  And it is just as demanding even if we are deluded into imagining that everything changed when Jesus came.  Jesus says, “No way”.

This raises all kinds of questions for us.  Are you a New Testament believer?  Have you set aside those books that describe the God of Israel because you think you are part of the New Covenant alone?  When you want to know God’s will, do you start in Genesis or in Matthew?  Do you know what God thinks about the festivals He instituted “for all generations”?  Do you hear His voice speaking to you from Deuteronomy, the book of laws?  Do you know the God of David or of Hosea?  Have you felt the pain of Jeremiah or the passion of Isaiah?  Or did you think the Peter, James and John were sufficient? 

No New Testament author writes the Law.  The Law is God’s self-revelation.  It is not simple a set of rules for living.  It is a description of the essential character of God.  That is why it won’t pass away.  The Law has God written all over it. 

BC and AD are simply human inventions to mark a change in the calendar.  God sees things a bit differently.  As far as He is concerned, there are only two covenants, the one before sin entered this world, and the one after.  The Law will last as long as this earth lasts.  Don’t you think we shortchange ourselves by not starting at the beginning, the day that Adam and Eve stepped out of the first covenant?