“I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you,
until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the
smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things
have taken place.” Matthew 5:17–18
The Old Law, the law from the Old Testament, prescribed various
moral precepts, as well as ceremonial precepts for worship. Jesus
makes it clear that He is not abolishing all that God taught
through Moses and the Prophets. This is because the New Testament
is the culmination and completion of the Old Testament. Thus,
nothing of old was abolished; it was fulfilled and brought to
completion.
The moral precepts of the Old Testament were laws that flowed
primarily from human reason. It made sense that one should not
kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, etc. It also made sense that God
should be honored and respected. The Ten Commandments and the other
moral laws still hold today. But Jesus brings us much further. He
not only called us to go much deeper in the keeping of these
commandments, He also promised the gift of grace so that they could
be fulfilled. Thus, “Thou shall not kill” is deepened to the
requirement of complete and total forgiveness of those who
persecute us.
It’s interesting to note that the new depth of the moral law Jesus
gives actually goes beyond human reason. “Thou shall not kill”
makes sense to almost everyone, but “love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you” is a new moral law that makes sense only
by the help of grace. But without grace, the natural human mind
alone cannot arrive at this new commandment.
This is extremely helpful to understand, because oftentimes we go
through life relying upon our human reason alone when it comes to
making moral decisions. And though our human reason will always
direct us away from the most obvious moral failures, it will be
insufficient alone to guide us to the heights of moral perfection.
Grace is necessary for this high calling to make sense. Only by
grace can we understand and fulfill the call to take up our crosses
and follow Christ.
Reflect, today, upon your own calling to perfection. If it doesn’t
make sense to you how God can expect perfection of you, then pause
and reflect upon the fact that you are right—it doesn’t make sense
to human reason alone! Pray that your human reason will be flooded
with the light of grace so that you will be able to not only
understand your high calling to perfection but that you will also
be given the grace you need to achieve it.
My most high Jesus, You have called us to a new height of
holiness. You have called us to perfection. Enlighten my mind, dear
Lord, so that I may understand this high calling and pour forth
Your grace, so that I may embrace my moral duty to the fullest
extent. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured Image: Moses with the Ten Commandments By Philippe
de Champaigne, via Wikimedia Commons
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