Commentary on the Gospel of
In many ways Jesus changed everything. Or maybe evolved, or refined, or moved forward. Changed, yes, but not like starting from scratch. More like building forward on a solid base. The old is not negated or discarded, but continued in a new form. Moses brought the word of God on stone tablets, and Jesus was the word of God in living flesh. Changed, definitely, but at the core, the same idea. And if the stone law was so glorious that no one could look at it directly, how much more glorious is this living law in human form? Jesus said he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. The word of the Lord is always valid. Jesus did not and will not change that, but he is the word, and in living form moves forward on its solid base. The new form is wonderful, but it doesn’t lessen the old base. It’s like the Girl Scout song: Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.
The past is necessary to get to the future. We don’t want to forget where we came from or how we got here. We need what we have learned on our journey to move forward.
Jesus hasn’t negated or abolished the commandments. He says the commandments are still in effect, will always be in effect. Those who break the least of the commandments or encourage others to do so will wish they hadn’t. Following the commandments is always the best way to live, and those who follow the commandments will prosper in this world and the next.
