Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 78 No. 1, 2008.
Original scientific paper
»New« Uprightness or Uprightness in the Abundance of More (Mt 5:20)!?
Mario Cifrak
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The article starts from Mt 5:20 as an important verse to the text that speaks about the Law in the »Sermon on the Mountain«, that comes from Mt 5:17-20. This text is supposed to present the continuation of Jesus' teaching about the Torah, its »radicalization« which shows that the authority of Jesus surpasses the Torah, or that he has the authority of the Torah. Although he doesn't stand in opposition to the Torah and doesn't bring any new Torah, he nevertheless announces the news in view of uprightness, because his teaching with authority is the key for its comprehension. Here, the paradigm changes because Jesus puts in the center of the Kingdom of God, that is the reign of God and the realization of God's will, and not the Torah. The conflict in the synagogue and with the pharisaic scribes on the issue of faith and of Messianic interpretation of the Torah, on the very example of uprightness culminates in implacability: »For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven«. The uprightness in abundance is more the kind of uprightness which leaves »abundant worries« about human life. Such righteousness will attain only the one who doesn't do it in public and has no desire for authority over »little children«, because as a child he does humbly the will of the Father and enters his kingdom of Heaven.
Keywords
Torah; Law; Sermon on the Mount; uprightness; kingdom of Heaven
Hrčak ID:
25582
URI
Publication date:
7.5.2008.
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