The Law and the Prophets (Epiphany 5, 9th February 2020)

Epiphany 5, February 9th, 2020: The Law and the Prophets
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), Psalm 112:1-9 (10) ; 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16); Matthew 5:13-20 
© W. Kirchmeir

O Holy Spirit, assist us we contemplate your word, that we may be enlightened by your truth. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Jesus said, 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.

     The Law and the Prophets. A phrase that we’ve heard many times before. Just what does it mean? What do we mean by “law”? Do we mean Justice? We know better than that. Unjust laws have been enacted as far back as we have history. What about the laws of nature? Are rules and regulations the same as laws? And so on.
      We’ll come back to this question of the law. I want to begin with a brief look at prophecy.

     Prophets. The modern meaning of the word “prophet” is “someone who foretells the future”. The word originally meant “spokesperson, interpreter, one who speaks on behalf of another.” That includes one who interprets the signs and omens, who explains what they mean. That includes what may happen in the future, and so we come to our modern meaning: one who foretells, one who predicts.
     Here’s story about a prophet:
     Moishe, a medieval Jewish astrologer, prophesied that the king’s favourite horse would soon die. Sure enough, the horse died a short time later. The king was outraged at the astrologer, he was certain that his prophecy had brought about the horse’s death. He summoned Moishe and commanded him, "Prophet, tell me when you will die!"
     Moishe realized that the king was planning to kill him immediately no matter what answer he gave, so he had to answer carefully. "I do not know when I will die," he answered finally. "I only know that whenever I die, the king will die three days later."
     Good call. Moishe admitted he didn’t know everything, and that made his limited prediction more believable. Neat way to save his life.

     The Bible is full of prophecies. The prophets speak on behalf of God. Many of the prophecies are very specific. Many of them are vague, the kind of predictions that could refer to many things. Prophecies of wars and natural disasters are common. Well, actual wars and natural disasters are common, too, so to prophesy that they will happen is easy. It’s a little more difficult to make precise predictions of when they will happen. Volcanoes are good example. Predicting an eruption is much more difficult than predicting the weather.
     There are plenty of people who are more than willing to tell you what Bible prophecies really mean. For example, there have been many predictions of the end of the world, with precise dates and times, and even locations. None of them have come true. Nevertheless, these readers of the prophecies are certain that End Times are just about to happen, and they have the inside information. They are willing to share it, too, especially if you give them a free-will offering of  $29.95 for the book that explains it all.
     Political events and social changes that annoy someone will also be dragged in as evidence that the End Is Near. Of course, those that agree will be prepared. Better yet, they will be saved when the Tribulation comes, and will watch with gloomy satisfaction as the unbelievers suffer for their sins.
     The track record of these prophet interpreters is dismal. Does that mean that Bible prophecies are meaningless? I don’t think so, but you can tell I don’t believe that figuring out times and dates is what they are about. I’ll come back to this question again. Now let’s take a brief look at the Law.

     There are perhaps even more people who claim to know exactly what the Law means. They know exactly which of the Old Testament Laws apply to us, and which don’t. For some reason, the Laws these legalists talk most about are the ones that promise punishment for things they don’t like. But they often disagree with each other, and that suggests that the Law also needs to be interpreted.
     What is a law, anyhow? We’re used to the idea that the law is something we legislate. If there’s some problem that bothers enough people, the politicians will pass a law. Passing a law will certainly solve the problem. Or maybe not. And if not, you can always pass another law.
     But a law needs to be enforced, so we get the Justice System. But as we know only too well, law and justice aren’t always the same. Innocent people have been convicted, and some of them have been executed. Or neighbours go to court to settle some dispute, and too often the losing side thinks they were hard done by, and appeal the decision, which leads to more court time and more costs. In the end, someone will be disappointed, and will be convinced that justice wasn’t done. Plus, a lot of money was wasted.
     Then there are rules and regulations. When we don’t like them, we call them Red Tape, and argue that they interfere with business. Or worse, they violate common sense. Or worst of all, they attack freedom and liberty. In fact, there is a political movement called Libertarianism founded on the principle that there should be as little law and regulation as possible.
     In short, Law as often as not is something we don’t want. We like it when it’s on our side, but not when it’s against us.

     So what are we to do? How are we to understand the Law and the Prophets?

     Let’s start at the beginning. What was Jesus talking about?
     When Jesus refers to the Law and the Prophets, he is talking about the Talmud, the collection of scripture and the commentaries. They are guides to righteous living. They have always been living guides. The Jews then and now argued about and discussed how the Law and the prophetic announcements applied to life right here, right now, in this place and time. Jesus did that, too.
     Why did he discuss the Law and the Prophets? Things change. New things are invented. New possibilities arise. Old things are forgotten or discarded. Fashions come and go. Technology offers new choices. Trade expands, and we meet people who are different from us. Politics changes – it always changes, and affects people’s loyalties. We try to avoid the mistakes of our ancestors, and make new mistakes of our own. And too often we get stuck in some idea about what the Law says, and we apply it without thinking.
     All these things and more cause problems in interpreting the law. All these things and more sooner or later make some application of a rule or regulation silly, or worse. All these things and more may mislead us into misinterpreting the Law.
     Yet the Law and the Prophets must somehow continue to apply. They will not be abolished. It all must, somehow, make sense.

     I think that’s what Jesus means when he says he has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. He’s come to show the full sense of the Law and the Prophets. He won’t abolish any of it, he will complete it. He will show us how to make true sense of it.
     Making sense of the Law and the Prophets. That’s what Jesus was doing throughout his ministry. He repeated the same message over and over again: The Kingdom is here, it’s now, and the Son of Man has come to show us how to become citizens in that Kingdom.
     He also quoted the summary of the Law and the Prophets: Love God, and love your neighbour.
     That Summary should guide our interpretation of the Law and the Prophets. When we want to figure out how to apply the Law in our own time, that application must agree with the Summary. When we want to understand the Law as a guide to righteous living, that understanding must agree with the Summary. When we want to make some rule of life for ourselves, that rule must agree with the Summary.

     And how are we to make sense of the Prophets? They speak the same truth as Jesus: The Kingdom is at hand. When we want to make sense of a prophecy, that sense must point to the Kingdom. When we want to read a prophecy as a guide to action, that guide must point to the Kingdom. When we look for the meaning of our lives, that meaning will show us the Kingdom.

     Love God and love your neighbour, for the Kingdom is at hand. That’s the Law. That’s the Prophets. That’s all there is. There isn’t any more.
     But it’s more than enough to guide our lives, to inspire our actions, and to give us hope.

Let us pray.

Lord God, Maker, Saviour, and Guide, we ask you to grant us the grace of so understanding the Law and the Prophets so that our words and deeds will show how your Promise of the Kingdom may be fulfilled. We ask this in the name of Him who is that Promise made flesh, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.