15:4 (Family Values, Cruelty)
Q: In Matthew 15:4, Jesus tells the Pharisees that God has commanded, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. It sounds like Jesus thinks that children who curse their parents should be killed.
A: Jesus is quoting from Exodus 21:17 or Leviticus 20:9 (same content). Jesus does not argue here for the enforcement of that law; He merely presents it as one component of a simple case for the idea that it is a childs responsibility to care for his parents. The background of Exodus 21:17 and the meaning of curse there are things to address in comments on Exodus. Here in Matthew, its sufficient to simply observe that Jesus merely cited the law. The citation of a law is not the same as interpreting and applying it -- so while there can be no question that Jesus saw this commandment as authoritative while He was on the scene, standing there talking to the Pharisees, the question of how Jesus would interpret and apply it is open.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
Q: In Matthew 15:4, Jesus tells the Pharisees that God has commanded, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. It sounds like Jesus thinks that children who curse their parents should be killed.
A: Jesus is quoting from Exodus 21:17 or Leviticus 20:9 (same content). Jesus does not argue here for the enforcement of that law; He merely presents it as one component of a simple case for the idea that it is a childs responsibility to care for his parents. The background of Exodus 21:17 and the meaning of curse there are things to address in comments on Exodus. Here in Matthew, its sufficient to simply observe that Jesus merely cited the law. The citation of a law is not the same as interpreting and applying it -- so while there can be no question that Jesus saw this commandment as authoritative while He was on the scene, standing there talking to the Pharisees, the question of how Jesus would interpret and apply it is open.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
