feb 12 : matthew 5: 17-20

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
I've done my qt on this chapter once before, but I wanted to examine these three verses deeper than I had done before. The biggest argument between the Catholic and Protestant church is the issue of works and deeds. The Old Testament was based largely on the Law. You can or cannot do this, you do this and you will die, a lot of them given reason for but some of them not. But protestants focus more heavily on the teachings of the New Testament where grace is what gives salvation. Jesus did not come to this world to take the Law out of our understanding of faith, he came to redefine what they stand for. He came so that we can have eternal life, if following the Law grants eternal life than there would be no need for a savior. There would have already been a way into Heaven. But the rules of the Bible are so strict. Can anyone possibly follow all of them without breaking them? Following only the Law would leave us with guilt and shame. The reason Jesus came down to earth was because he was the only one capable of following such a strict set of rules and laws without once failing. That is what we are to follow, that is who we are to follow. The following of Jesus, not rules, is what gets us to Heaven. Good deeds will then come alive as a response to the grace of Jesus Christ.