Listen to the reading of Scripture below, and then learn more from related resources. As you listen and reflect, think about this question: What is a greater or lesser command in the Torah, and how does a person become great in the Kingdom of the skies?
The “Torah and Prophets” refers to the Hebrew Bible, which tells the story of God calling all of humanity to partner with him to rule the world with peace and justice.
Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus and the Torah
How might Jesus’ first audience have understood Jesus saying that he was going to fulfill the story of the Hebrew Bible?
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“Jesus is flipping the social order of his day. The scribes and Pharisees thought of themselves as the greatest, the highest rank in their culture. And they thought of those who didn’t follow their Torah teachings as the least. But ‘surprise,’ Jesus says, ‘God’s Kingdom is turning the whole thing upside-down so that the last are first and the first are last.”
“Jesus joined the poor and served them. And instead of fighting his rivals, he served them too. Jesus showed that true power is displayed through self-giving love.”
Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E9
How to Be Great in God’s Kingdom
“The language of reward is a prominent theme in Jesus’ teaching. And he doesn't see it as something bad, to hope for reward—or to live your life now in light of some hope for reward or honor. But the nature of that reward and the nature of that honor is to be immersed in the beauty of God's own eternal love. And that reward has a transforming effect on all that I value and think is important.”
To Jesus, the greatest commands in the Torah refer to the broader principles to love God and others wholeheartedly. These commands are what all the other “lesser” commands point to. Those who observe and teach these commands, who love sacrificially and serve others, will be great in the Kingdom—regardless of their current social standing.