The words “dot” and “squiggle” in this passage refer to the tiniest pen strokes used in writing Hebrew letters.

What do these details about pen strokes tell us about Jesus’ perspective on the Torah?

“Life is messy. In any given situation, how are we even supposed to know what it means to do right by everyone? That is the question. Remember, Jesus was an Israelite. And the people of Israel had a specific answer to that question that was simple and profound. To do right by God and people, you need to learn God’s wisdom. And how do you get God’s wisdom? Well, for Israelites, you find God’s wisdom by meditating on their Scriptures, called ‘the Torah and Prophets.’”

“The phrase ‘Torah and Prophets’ refers to Jesus’ Bible, the Hebrew Bible. These scriptures tell a story about God calling all of humanity to partner with him to rule the world in a way that brings peace and justice, and how he called one nation, Israel, to lead the way, with the hope that he will make the world new, uniting Heaven and Earth.”

“Jesus opens this central section with one of the more dense paragraphs in the whole sermon that is full of exegetical and interpretive puzzles at every turn. So I'm just going to let you read it. It's got a wonderful literary design. This is a four-part paragraph that's broken up in a logical chain. So how about you read each part, and then I'll ask you the question that prompts Jesus to say the next thing he says.”