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Hull University S.C.M. March 1963

Jesus: Servant of Morality or Truth?

Thesis:      Confusion between Religion and Morality, so that for

                  many Religion is nothing more than morality.  How to be good.  Recipes and prescriptions.

                  This destructive (sic) of Religion.

                  Xtianity  primarily what is true.  Truth about what makes us human.  Fulfiment (sic) of our nature as distinctively human beings.

                                                                  Dvine (sic).  Transcendant.

                                                                        Jesus did not bring anything absolutely new.  Brought to a focusof intense illumination what had been developing

Whole Problem thrown up by Matthew   v. 17 onwards.

To understand what Jesus was about you must consider it as a whole. 

In fact it is a collection made by Matthew to bring together the most significant aspects of thet (sic) teaching. Items scattered is other Gospels.  That doesn’t matter.

Remember that Matthew was writing for JEWS.

Verse 17: Think not that I came to destroy the Law or the Prohpets (sic) I came not to destroy but to fulfil.

For verily I say unto you; Till heaven and Earth pass away one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law till all be fulfilled.

                  QUOTED at me.       Did he say it?      In this way?

                                    But could not have meant it literally (sic).

                                    Good deal of sadism as well as good sense.  Stoning.  Witches.

                                    Jesus broke the Law –  the Sabbath.

                                                      MOSES:  Exodus 35. 2. These are the words of the Lord. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh dy (sic) there shall be to you a holy day, a Sabbath of solemn rest to the Lord; whoso doeth any work therein shall be put to death.

                                    But Jesus said: The Sabbath was made for man not man for  the Sabbath.

[Handwritten notes appearing in the bottom margon of page 1

                        Law of love

                        The truth does not provide us with an easy way

You don’t have to qualify for the love of God, only ask.

In attempts to explain the difficulties of this chapter, usual to say that Law is  inadequate if seen only superficially as a pattern of behaviour.  Fulfilment meant filling out the Law by understanding of the reasons for it.

But this won’t do, Jesus does not just ask for understanding.

Comes a point when he sets the Law aside, then contradicts it.  A wholly different sort of behaviour.  Different human relationship. 

If we take it literally the “jot or tittle” is definitely contradicted by the later part.

How to understand?

1. Jesus not making statements (sic) of absolutel (sic)  that can be lifted from their context and that will mean the same thing everywhere and in all circumstances.

Directed to a particular situation, to particular people, to a particular state of mind.

1. The thread that runs right through the synoptic gospels – war to the death between

                  Jesus and the Pharisees

                  religion of heart and spirit and a pseudo-religion of rules and regulations.

                  between truth and an expternal (sic) morality.

Verse 20. For I tell you that your goodness must be a far better thing than the goodness of the Scribes and Phar, before you can set foot in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the light of this struggle, lets look at verse 27.

                  You have heard that it was said to people in the old days, Thou shalt not commit adultery.  But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has lalready (sic) committed adultery with her – in his heart.

                  Ven (sic) in the best commentaries it is said that this is a condemnation of impurity of mind in all of us.

                  But a Humanist: What nonsense, Jesus a foool (sic) to condemn what is part of human nature.  I agree.  But Jesus was not a fool..

                  He was attacking hyspocrisy (sic) Can’t you imagine it?  Men who set themselves up as champions of the Law. Who condemn the outright adulterers – but when an attractive (sic) woman passed!   Haven’t we met this in school?   Common humanity.

And verse 27 – about putting away a wife and thus making an adulteress of her.  It was relatively easy to divorce a woman when you got tired of her and you didn’t want to continue to keep her alive.  (Unfairness to Women)

That Jesus was not condemning sexuality per se – Verily I say unto you;  the Publicans and the Harlots go into the Kingdom of Heaven before you.

Verse 33 onwards: beyond the matter of hypocrisy (sic) to a complete transformation of the whole concept of living.

                  From Obedience to Law tp (sic) a spontaneous (sic) generosity of spirit that swept over every conventional and legal consideration. 

Now looking back over passage:

1. Attacking people who are harping on Law.  Very well, I’ll hold you to it. You shall have your law.  Every jot and ittle.  And this is hwat (sic) it means.

But he was not really concerned with this BUT:-

1. Fulfilment:  Completion.  What the Jewish nation was moving towards.

                     Not adding rules, but a point where rules were superseded.

                     Where life became such an expression of the awareness of God instead of obeien ce (sic) to rules however good.

Evidence that the early Church understood this.  Every noew (sic) and then in the Epistles.

How did Jesus finally put it?

            Matthew 27.39  Lawyer tempting him.  Greatest commandment.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all heart thy  soul, with all thy mind and with all thy (strength) and thy neighbo y (sic) as thyself.

On theze (sic) two hang all the law and the prophets (sic)

Jesus still talking in terms of Law

But he’d gone beyond law.

            You cannot love God under commandment or your neighbour.

Now talking in terms of TRUTH.  He was saying – your nature is not fulfilled – you are not fully human until you have become part of the nature of God.

In the most intimate of relationship only – God and your neighbour – you become what you were meant to be.

When you have reached this point – as he had your view of Law is different.  The needs of a man come before obedience to a rule.  You must heal him, even if it means breaking the Sabbath.

Love the central experience – not obedience to something you don’t understand.

Love God and neighbour – reaching back.

            I                     /

      Deut 6.5      Leviticus 19.18

            └─────┬────┘

These the only two occasions in the whole Mosaic  Law in which love mentioned.

(Ten commandments  - not in agreed sense).   wrong sense?

St. Augustine carried this to the point: Love God and do what you like.

Tremendous responsibility.

Now how do we see Morality?

A prop.   Or guide for a time.

Growing up of a child – rules give place to love, warmth generosity.  Different kind of Morality responsibility.

MARRIAGE –

The need for love, warmth and fearlessness in this world. 

If we take this path – if we put this first, we shall be led into unforeseen situations – as Jesus was – when rules no longer apply.  Only an illumination from God.

Breaking of rules.

Christianity becomes not a rule-book but a living way of meeting the unexpected and unknown a way as assimilating experience and making it part of ourself.

It gives us a concept of truth as seen in a person and in his actions, not in any statement of rules or belief.

Perhaps go beyond concept of Jesus as a servant of Truth.  He was the Truth.  And so can other people be.

A final word about morality.

*Unfortunate  …..rel to sex?.......

Nevertheless if face it – takes us to heart of problem,

Demonstrates the terrible failure of a code of rules.  And of making judgement by them.

Result  Chaotic and blind and vulgar.

Only recover when we judge by inherent nature of relationships

When we begin to educate the heart and spirit of man instead of only his head.

But mostly to take away – man a moral being.  RESPONSIBLE

Love God and do what you like.

Jesus – Servant of Morality or Truth

Archive reference  PP/KCB 6/6/4document 15