Balancing the checkbook and fulfilling the law

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Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Sometimes you just can’t get something done on your own. Sometimes, you just need to rely on someone better than yourself to accomplish what you can’t do. God gave Moses His Law and the people agreed to obey all of it, but very quickly they realized they were helpless to fully comply. So God sent Jesus, His perfect Son, to fulfill the Law in our place.

Every month I have the unenviable task of balancing our family checkbook. I print out the bank statement and then start to interpret all of the chicken scratch filling the ledger from the previous month. This is an important part of handling finances because you find mistakes and take inventory over all you’ve spent for the month. But recently I had a problem!

No matter how hard I tried, no matter how many times I erased and reevaluated I could not get my checkbook to balance and it was off by quite a lot. Finally my headache and strained eyes convinced me that it was time to bring in the expert! So I called Dad, an accountant by education and previous CPA auditor for Deloitte and Touch (this was before he was an auctioneer), and begged for help. He agreed to sit down with me and go over the mess.

Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, enumerated God’s way of living to His listening disciples. The Beatitudes portrayed characteristics of citizens of God’s Kingdom. These had similarities to the Law given to Moses on Mt Sinai many years before. The first character traits spoke about internal attitude and our relationship with God while the second grouping of characteristics spoke of how we treat others and our relationship with them.

Those listening sat in rapt attention as they listened to Jesus explain that these characteristics would have a great impact on the world around them. But I imagine that the most honest of the disciples recognized that just like the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai they were helpless to fulfill all that God commanded.

Jesus explained that He had not come to abolish the Law of Moses, but instead to fulfill it. He assured His listeners that not even the smallest letter or stroke of the pen would disappear until everything was accomplished. Even the most religious of leaders could not accomplish this great task. In fact, the righteousness God expected must surpass the outward piety of the Pharisees and teachers of the day. The results must be more than outward appearances, and a fulfilling of religious duties, but a flawless attitude coming from a perfect heart.

The Law given to Moses contained a moral code for relationship with God and with man. It also contained rules about sacrifices and offerings to cover sins as they were committed. All humanity, contaminated from the time of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, had no hope of ever balancing the ledger of God’s Law. There needed to be an expert to step in and clean up the mess. So, Jesus, God’s perfect Son, came and fulfilled both God’s moral code and the ceremonial requirements by living the perfect life on man’s behalf and by becoming the perfect and final sacrifice for sin.

I am happy to say that within minutes my resident accounting expert balanced our checkbook — something I could not do on my own. But I am ever so much more grateful that Jesus did what He promised His disciples as they sat on a Galilean hillside. He fulfilled God’s Law on our behalf making those who put their trust in Him right with God.

Are you struggling with outward and inward sin? You are not alone. It’s time to call in the Expert. He will balance the ledger and clean up the mess.

Love,

Mama

Sandra Sheridan is a midwest wife and mother of five. She shares her letters to her children with our readers. Visit her at www.VersesFromMama.com.

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