Day 281, Year 1

Faithful Faith

“The weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.” (Matthew 23:23b NASB)

In discussing the weightier provisions of the law, nothing is more striking than “faithfulness” in it. The word “faithfulness,” pistis in Greek, is translated as “faith” multiple times in the New Testament. To Jesus, the most tectonic thing of the law is faithfulness, a faith that His people practice. In Matthew 8, the centurion said that his servant would be healed with just a word from Jesus, so He praised his faith.

For Matthew, the most essential part of the law was not about the various commandments and ordinances, but faithfulness and loyalty to God that come from observing the law, which are the key to encountering Him and establishing a two-way relationship between human and God. This view is quite common in the New Testament, including Hebrews 11, which discusses the predecessors of faith. This faith, in the Gospel of Matthew, is the more crucial essence of the law, and God’s people should learn to be faithful to Him through acquiring the spirit of the law, then put greater trust in Jesus.

If learning righteousness enables us to connect with God’s mercy, then understanding His kindness and mercy can help us develop a more substantial faith in Him. In the case of the centurion’s servant being healed, the centurion had compassion for the sick servant before he went to Jesus for help. It is possible that Jesus already felt the centurion’s mercy towards his servant before hearing the centurion’s words of faith. Hence, human mercy can activate faith and thus allow us to experience the miraculous work that God bestows. Through experiencing the Lord’s miracles, believers will surely rely more on Him.

Matthew’s description of justice, mercy, and faithfulness mentioned by Jesus can be seen as a three-step process in establishing a fruitful relationship with Jesus. From studying the Old Testament law, we understand God’s justice and pray for Him to take away our sins. Then, by understanding God’s mercy behind the law, we can cultivate the merciful heart and actions to connect with His mercy. Finally, by believing and practicing God’s mercy, we can reach a point of trusting the Lord Jesus, which results in transforming words and deeds out of faith. Starting with understanding and practicing the law of the Old Testament, we can gradually experience life transformation until we continually trust in Jesus—I believe that this is the path to salvation offered by Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think that you can begin your journey of learning God’s Word by learning the laws of the Old Testament, experiencing life transformation, and end with a continuous faith in Jesus?

2) Does your personal compassion drive you to have greater faith in the Lord Jesus? Why?