Matthew 5:17-20
In Mt. 5:17-20, Jesus’s teaching
addresses the accusation that he wants to abolish the “law and the prophets”
(Mt. 5:17). Jesus declares that he has come to fulfil the Mosaic law and
instructs his disciples to rebuke anyone who sets aside even the last
commandment (Mt. 5:18-19). Verse 20 states, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven.” In what follows (Mt. 5:21-48), Jesus is interpreting the teachings of
the Old Testament through his own person and life.
Jesus’s introduction to the Mosaic law
(Mt. 5:17-20) has four parallels to the third petition. First, the will of God
and righteousness are paralleled. The righteousness of Mt. 5:20 is characterized
by the keeping of God’s commandments. This insistence on obedience parallels
the emphasis of the third petition. Second, Mt. 5:18 picks up on the “heaven
and earth” theme, using a phrase in a merismatic fashion. Although the wording
is similar, the function is different. A closer parallel is found in v. 20.
Although it is not explicitly mentioned, “heaven and earth” is implied. The
disciples are being commended to display “surpassing righteousness,” and they
will enter the kingdom of heaven. The “kingdom of heaven” is contrasted with the
works of the Pharisees on earth. This depiction of the Pharisees leads to the
third parallel, namely both passages blend the eschatological future with the present.
Actions in the present are spoken of in consideration of the future kingdom of
heaven. Fourth, the will petition and Mt. 5:17-20 evidence the contrasting
nature of heaven and earth. . . . Jesus’s followers must define their righteousness
on earth by the pattern of “heavenly” righteousness (Mt. 5:20). This heavenly
righteousness contrasts with the “righteousness” of the Pharisees, who receive
their rewards on earth (see Mt. 6:1-21). (Charles Nathan Ridlehoover, The
Lord’s Prayer and the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel [Library of
New Testament Studies 616; London: T&T Clark, 2020], 99-100)
Matthew 5:45, 48
In Jesus’s final teaching on the
Mosaic law (Mt. 5:43-47 [48]), he provides double references to the third petition.
The first is found in Mt. 5:45, in which Jesus commends his disciples to love
their enemies. After commanding the love of enemies and prayers on their behalf
(Mt. 5:44), Jesus appeals to the Father in heaven as the example for disciples.
The Father in heaven causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and rain
on the righteous and unrighteous (Mt. 5:45). After a series of rhetorical
questions (Mt. 5:46-47), Jesus instructs his disciples to emulate the
perfection of the heavenly Father (Mt. 5:48). The instruction to be perfect as
the Father is the second reference.
Matthew 5:45 and v. 48 parallel the
third petition, each sharing an emphasis on the accomplishing of God’s will. In
Mt. 5:43-47, the father in heaven is used as the example for disciples. The Father
in heaven loves both neighbor and enemy and sends rain on the righteous and
unrighteous. The implication is that as rain falls on all humans, so the Father
showers his love equitably. Matthew 5:48 presents a parallel teaching in which
the Father is used again as an example for the disciples. Considering the verse’s
summative function, the perfection of the Father is linked with the fulfilment
of Jesus’s teaching on the Mosaic law. At the very least, the commanded perfection
parallels the love of neighbor and enemy. “Perfection” in Mt. 5:48 carries the
same ethical emphasis as the third petition and the Sermon’s emphasis on
righteousness. (Ibid., 101-2)
