LEAST OR GREAT

Matthew 5:19-20 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Here Jesus teaches the responsibility of mankind to obey the commandments of God. Although He is speaking specifically about the Old Testament law, the same teaching applies to God's law as revealed in the New Testament to the same degree. The first part of verse 19 tells of those that subvert the law of God are found to be on the lowest rung of the ladder to the kingdom of heaven. Verse 20 identifies these offenders as the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus is not the offender that destroyed the Law of Moses as taught by unbelieving Jews (see verses 17 and 18); rather it was the Jewish leaders themselves. It was the scribes and Pharisees, as guided by the traditions of men, who, not only broke God's commandments, but also taught others to do the same. Here on the mount, Jesus taught that God's law given to Israel through to His servant, Moses, was to be kept to the letter; it was to be recognized and obeyed down to every jot (and) tittle. This, He taught to His followers, because they were probably all Jews, and still under the Mosaic Law. As we look back on this event, it was not so much the importance of which covenant they were under, but the fact that God's law is always to be accepted, believed, and obeyed in its entirety. Jesus contrasts this to the actions of the scribes and Pharisees, who taught that some of God's commands were more important than others, and to break those they deemed insignificant was only a trivial matter. Christ corrects this misunderstanding by teaching His audience that the spirit of true obedience to God does not make such distinctions.

Leaving no doubt about the unrighteousness of the Jewish leadership, Jesus makes this condemning accusation: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel (Matt. 23:23-24). Indeed, it was the scribes and Pharisees that had destroyed the Old Testament covenant that God made with the children of Israel. They practiced and taught that only part of God's commandments was binding. The lesson to all Christians today is that such teaching is contrary to God's will. God's commandments cannot be put in the categories of which is important and which is not. All are important and all are essential to eternal salvation. Jesus makes this point crystal clear later on in this wonderful sermon. He told the multitude that not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father, which is in heaven (Matt. 7:21). The least in God's kingdom are those that disobey, practice, and teach error. Although they are crying Lord, Lord, they shall have no place in heaven. Only the great in the kingdom of God - those that accept, obey, and teach others that all of His commandments are to be heeded, - only those that doeth the will of My Father will He recognize as His children and grant them to entrance through the gates of heaven.

The scribes and Pharisees were "religious." They obeyed the ceremonial law of God; they offered sacrifices; they fasted and prayed often, as God required; they paid tithes as commanded; they religiously observed all of the ceremonial acts God had commanded in His covenant with the Jewish nation. Yet they omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith (See Matt. 23:23-24 quoted above). To partially accept, obey, and teach God's will is not acceptable in the eyes of God. This is Jesus' lesson to all Christians today. He says that we must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees to have the hope of eternal salvation and ...enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus tells us (See Matt. 22:37-40), Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Obedience to ceremonial law only cannot accomplish this. However, Jesus also gave us this commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. This requires obedience to the weightier matters of the law. This commandment the scribes and Pharisees omitted. Christians must exceed this; accept, obey, and teach all of God's commandments. By exceeding being least in God's kingdom, Christians become great.