All Things Seen & Unseen

The Character of the Messiah (Christ) In the second part of Matthew 22.34-46 Jesus asks them a question. It's an important question because it relates directly to the matters raised in the first question-and-answer section found in an earlier post which indirectly brings up the issue of what can be done about our failure to keep the Law. Jesus takes his turn to ask them a question in line with the rules of formal debate of that time between disputants. He asks questions about the Messiah (Christ).  Is the Messiah just a man or more than a man? This issue is the one on which Jesus is concerned to concentrate with them. Whose son is He? Jesus asks.  To which they reply, 'the son of David'. Jesus draws their attention to Psalm 110.1 in which David says: The Lord (Jehovah) said to my Lord (the Messiah), 'Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.' Jesus presses his point, 'If David calls the Messiah 'Lord' how can the ...

The Scripture reading set down in the Common Lectionary for last Sunday (26th October) was from Matthew 22.34-46. 1 The Content of the Law The Pharisees yet again try to 'tempt' or test (Lit. Version) Jesus with a question: which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus says, 'The first and greatest commandment is: 'Thou [singular, 'you'] shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind'. And a second is like it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself'. The law contained (reportedly) 613 laws and ordinances and I suspect that Jesus' answer (from Deut 6.5 and Lev 19.8) and the authoritative way in which he gave it stunned them into silence. The Purpose of the Law But given that the law's content is summed up in these two commandments, what is the character/purpose of the law? First, no one is able to keep the law. In respect of the great and first commandment, all are guilty ...