The Sermon on the Mount: The Written Commandments of Torah Are Insufficient!

In his Sermon on the Mount, Christ said: "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." What did he mean by that? After all, the scribes and Pharisees were known for their teaching of, and obedience to, the commandments of Torah. Christ's meaning becomes clearer as we proceed in Matthew's account of his sermon.

Continuing, we see that Jesus enumerated several of the individual commandments of Torah, and then proceeded to insist that MORE was needed. He said: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire." Hence, for Jesus, we see that the literal commandment against murder was insufficient. He insisted that anger and insults would result in the same judgment that actually going out and murdering someone would effect.

Christ went one to say: "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Once again, according to Jesus, obedience to the actual commandment by remaining physically faithful was not enough. Christ said that thinking about it - lusting after someone other than your spouse - was the equivalent of being physically unfaithful.

Jesus continued: "It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." He then went on to render the commandment to keep one's oath obsolete by insisting that it was inappropriate to even swear to do something.

Christ continued: "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." Christ went on to insist that we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. He said that reciprocal love was not enough - that we must love even those who do not love us. (See Matthew 5:20-48, ESV)

In all of these instances, Christ taught that his disciples must go beyond the literal commandment found in Torah. In other words, scrupulous obedience to those written commandments often did NOT fulfill the Divine intent which motivated them! Moreover, Christ's teachings on this occasion serve as the foundation of the New Testament understanding/interpretation of Torah/The Law.