Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5:17

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were disturbed by the new teaching of Jesus because it appeared to undermine the Old Testament law and the prophets. In today’s scripture reading, however, the Lord makes it clear that He came, “not to abolish the law and the prophets,” but to fulfill them.

By offering us the eight beatitudes, Jesus goes beyond the Old Testament laws. These beautiful attitudes backtrack to the condition of the human heart; they renew us from within by replacing the “old wineskins” of fallen human nature with the “fresh wineskins” of the beatitudes.

The beatitudes are for the Christian what the Ten Commandments were to the people of the Old Testament. They are the blueprint for a Christian way of life. In the gospel story about the Pharisee and the Publican who went into the temple to pray; the Lord praises the Publican’s attitude of humility but condemns the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisee who kept all the commandments of the law. Observing the commandments is important, but it is more important to observe them in the proper spirit. The Pharisee lacked the proper attitude or spirit because he was too proud or self-righteous to acknowledge his dependence on the mercy of God.

The beatitudes do not supersede the Ten Commandments. On the contrary, they complete them or perfect them by the addition of the right attitudes. In chapter five of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus explains how the fifth commandment: “thou shalt not kill” is fulfilled at a much deeper level by removing the cause of this behavior; namely, vindictive anger which is just as destructive as the murderous act itself. Thus He asserts: “but I say to you, whoever is angry with His brother will be liable to judgment.” (Matthew 5:22)

The same applies to the other commandments which He has come, not to abolish but to fulfill. The eighth commandment asserts: “thou shalt not bear false witness.” A jealous disposition towards others, however, is just as destructive as jealous actions of slander, calumny or detraction. Thus you need to pluck out and throw away the negative attitude of jealousy first in order to observe this commandment in spirit and in deed.

It is not enough, therefore, to fake piety and goodness on the outside, while harboring destructive attitudes within our hearts. The Lord has given us the beatitudes to rid our hearts of these harmful tendencies and to replace them with attitudes of humility, meekness, compassion, peace, mercy, honesty, perseverance and a thirst for holiness.

Thus He came, not to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them.

Fr. Hugh Duffy