Chrysostom (p103-4) points out that Jesus understands the suspicion that he might be abrogating the ancient institutions, and thus he assures them that he is not there to destroy the Law, speaking of his reverence for it before intensifying its demands. Jesus goes on to show, in Green’s words (p92), that true righteousness transcends “formal obedience”. It is not the letter of the law that counts, but the Spirit (and how much Spirit is required!): that is, actions and words should not be performed with the idea of satisfying the law, but “to respond in wholehearted gratitude to the love of God” (Green, p93) – a much higher demand. Jesus speaks of exceeding even the Pharisees and Scribes who minutely observed the law. Chrysostom (p106) says that to exceed them means to follow Jesus’s intensification of the law’s demands, outdoing them not in legalistic detail, but in fulfilling the purposes for which they were given.

How was Christ himself the fulfilment of the law? Chrysostom (p105) gives three ways: firstly, by not transgressing it (Chrysostom gives supporting quotes from John’s gospel and from Isaiah to show that none could convict Christ of having transgressed the law) – on those points where he was accused specifically of transgressing the law, he always had an answer for his accusers (e.g. Mt 12:1-8); secondly, by granting his fulfilment of the law to us (quoting Romans 10:4, 8:3-4, 3:31) through his incarnation and our faith in him; and thirdly, fulfilling the law through his intensification of it in his ministry and his teaching. In contrast, Green (p92) writes that some elements of the Old Testament law were “abolished by being fulfilled” – that some had pointed forward and were now eclipsed. Presumably he is speaking here of ritual law, since he points out that the moral law is all intensified in Christ.

The Beatitudes at the beginning of the passage are important as setting out the context for Jesus’s speaking about the Law. In the Beatitudes he illustrates what a righteous life (that is, a life truly in accordance with the law) is like: as Green puts it (p89), what life is like after repentance and commitment. Chrysostom points out (p105) that having set forth the blessings in the example of the life in accordance with the true law in the Beatitudes, in the examples of his intensification of the law, he goes on to indicates the consequences of not living in accord with the Spirit of the law.

Both Green and Chrysostom see in this passage the greater context of love as rule, as motivation, and as context of life. Chrysostom says that reconciliation is even above prayer: that if the gift you are offering at the altar is even a prayer, still you should lay it down and first be reconciled with your neighbour before returning to offer your prayer: “Let my service… be interrupted, that thy love may continue” (p112).

Chrysostom (p103-4) points out that Jesus understands the suspicion that he might be abrogating the ancient institutions, and thus he assures them that he is not there to destroy the Law, speaking of his reverence for it before intensifying its demands. Jesus goes on to show, in Green’s words (p92), that true righteousness transcends “formal obedience”. It is not the letter of the law that counts, but the Spirit (and how much Spirit is required!): that is, actions and words should not be performed with the idea of satisfying the law, but “to respond in wholehearted gratitude to the love of God” (Green, p93) – a much higher demand. Jesus speaks of exceeding even the Pharisees and Scribes who minutely observed the law. Chrysostom (p106) says that to exceed them means to follow Jesus’s intensification of the law’s demands, outdoing them not in legalistic detail, but in fulfilling the purposes for which they were given.

How was Christ himself the fulfilment of the law? Chrysostom (p105) gives three ways: firstly, by not transgressing it (Chrysostom gives supporting quotes from John’s gospel and from Isaiah to show that none could convict Christ of having transgressed the law) – on those points where he was accused specifically of transgressing the law, he always had an answer for his accusers (e.g. Mt 12:1-8); secondly, by granting his fulfilment of the law to us (quoting Romans 10:4, 8:3-4, 3:31) through his incarnation and our faith in him; and thirdly, fulfilling the law through his intensification of it in his ministry and his teaching. In contrast, Green (p92) writes that some elements of the Old Testament law were “abolished by being fulfilled” – that some had pointed forward and were now eclipsed. Presumably he is speaking here of ritual law, since he points out that the moral law is all intensified in Christ.

The Beatitudes at the beginning of the passage are important as setting out the context for Jesus’s speaking about the Law. In the Beatitudes he illustrates what a righteous life (that is, a life truly in accordance with the law) is like: as Green puts it (p89), what life is like after repentance and commitment. Chrysostom points out (p105) that having set forth the blessings in the example of the life in accordance with the true law in the Beatitudes, in the examples of his intensification of the law, he goes on to indicates the consequences of not living in accord with the Spirit of the law.

Both Green and Chrysostom see in this passage the greater context of love as rule, as motivation, and as context of life. Chrysostom says that reconciliation is even above prayer: that if the gift you are offering at the altar is even a prayer, still you should lay it down and first be reconciled with your neighbour before returning to offer your prayer: “Let my service… be interrupted, that thy love may continue” (p112).