Siblings, context is very important. If we speak to someone without knowing either the issue, the person, or the setting, we might speak out of turn. If we address a group, and we are unaware of why we’re speaking or the nature of the people with whom we speak, we run the risk of being misunderstood. While we agree that the Bible still speaks, I believe we must also consider the context so that we grasp a deeper understanding. It’s my hope that we see that in action in our reflections. And more so, I invite us to consider the context as we reflect on Today’s Holy Nougat.
Matthew 22:40 CEB
[40] All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
All the Law and the Prophets
In our reflection yesterday, we looked at the 4:6 interplay of love toward God and neighbour. Implicit in that love for neighbour was the love of self, as we’re called to love our neighbour in the way we love ourselves. We also agreed that Y’shua Jesus was responding to a question about the Commandments. In responding as He did, Y’shua refuted the arguments of His detractors in one fell swoop. We noted that this was the base of the Ten Commandments. That’s one way of saying we’ve covered ‘The Law’.
But Jesus didn’t only say these are the bases of the Law, He grounded it as the foundation for the Prophets also. That’s where context becomes important. It might not feel that way since we’re not all preaching or leading Bible studies on this. But, it helps to sharpen our understanding and, by extension, improves our interactions with God.
Self-Check
Can we recall a time when our understanding of the context of a biblical passage or verse was critical to how we lived our faith?
Application
When we see ‘prophets’ mentioned in the Bible in that context, it’s about the biblical books, not just a group of prophets. It is believed that Matthew wrote to Jews to convince them of Jesus’ divinity and, by extension, proving that He (is) was the Messiah. Matthew’s Jewish audience often described Jewish scripture as the Law and the Prophets because of the ordering of the writings in the text. The first five books represented the Law, Torah, and were followed by the prophetic works, the Nevi’im. The poetic writings, Ketuvim, was the final segment. Generally, the term represented the entire Tanakh, which we refer to as the Old Testament.
Had He only been referring to the Torah and Nevi’im, Y’shua’s point was still very clear. Several prophets wrote and spoke of YHWH’s disquiet at humanity’s lack of love toward each other and YHWH’s dismay (or anger) at Israel’s unfaithfulness to YHWH. Those are matters of love. In saying that the entire Hebrew scripture was rooted in love for God, for self, and for neighbour also established Jesus’s profound understanding of scripture to His detractors.
Faith in YHWH, said Jesus, was dependent on love. This was not just a commandment but an invitation to a new lifestyle. Siblings, there was nothing for the experts to refute. The interrogation was closed. Love closed the case.
That’s true on so many levels. For love bought us eternity, even when sin separated us. Love affords us the capacity to treat our neighbours with respect even when we don’t understand them. Love covers a multitude of wrongs. Love is the basis of the Law and the Prophets.
Point to Ponder
How might we fulfil the basis of the Law and the Prophets today?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
