Matthew 5:17

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill" Matthew. 5:17

From time to time it surfaces in every church. The misconception runs something like this: "If we want to be healthy, we must return to the food laws of the Old Testament." These kindhearted people proceed to eliminate pork from their diets. Not satisfied with that, they begin to purchase foods with the k on the label - kosher foods. Still not satisfied, they scour the Word looking for other common foods that need to be eliminated from their dietary intake. As I have observed these brothers and sisters, I have watched them come under such bondage to the food they eat that they nearly starve themselves to death.

Jesus never intended for us to be bound by the Old Testament food laws - or any other O.T. law for that matter. Indeed, He tells us in today's verse that He came to fulfill the law. While none of my friends would consider the necessity of ritual animal sacrifice (Jesus took care of that for us when He died on the cross), they fail to make the connection to His sacrificial death to the fulfillment of ALL the law.

Peter found this out when he had a vision on the rooftop. In his vision he saw all kinds of "unclean" animals on a white sheet. A voice, the Voice of God, spoke to him telling him to eat his fill. Three times Peter saw the vision. Three times he refused to eat claiming obedience to the "unclean" laws. Three times the voice told him that what God had made clean was truly clean. This reference to the eating of unclean animals indicates God's past action of cleansing them - through the Blood of Jesus.

A few minutes later, God began to work on Peter's refusal by giving him an undeniable invitation to present the Good News to gentiles, which eventually lead to the gentiles receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Still later (several years most likely) Peter was found eating with gentile believers - until other Apostles joined him and Paul in that gentile church. It was Paul whom God used to correct Peter's error.

You may be thinking that our discussion is leading to the conclusion that we can blatantly disregard the Law of Moses because we have been set free from it. Ah, you are right! AND you are wrong! We are freed from the Law - that is we are freed from the penalty for breaking the Law. But, we are not freed from the Law itself. Instead, we are bound by a new law - the Law of Love. Jesus said it first, and I paraphrase, "Love God and love your neighbor. In this you fulfill all the Law of Moses." Not only did He fulfill the Law, but we are to do it as well.

I will leave you with this question: "Is there any part of the Old Testament Law - the most important part, i.e. the Ten Commandments - that cannot be fulfilled by the Law of Love?" Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.