Matt 5:19 Therefore whoever annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whoever practices and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all.
In this verse [Matt 5:19] Christ stressed the fact that if we do not keep all of the least of the commandments of the law, but annul them and teach others to annul them, we shall become the least in the kingdom of the heavens. The morality of no other people is as high as that of the kingdom people. Never think that we care only for life and not for morality. Life must have its expression, and the highest life has the highest expression. Morality is simply the expression of life. Thus, if you have the highest life, you will certainly have the highest morality as the expression of this life. Because the standard of the kingdom is higher than the standard of morality, we must do more than keep the standard of the old law. According to the standard of morality, we should not commit murder or adultery. If we abstain from murder and adultery, we are moral people. But the standard of the kingdom tells us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and not to resist one who is evil ( Matt. 5:44, 39). If someone strikes us on our right cheek, we should turn to him the other also (v. 39). How much higher is this standard than the standard of morality! We have the highest law, the highest life, the highest standard. By the highest life we fulfill the highest law and have the highest standard.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Matthew, 1986, pp. 215-216. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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