Come Be My Follower - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site

“IT IS WRITTEN” 103
ing Satan’s temptations, Jesus quoted from the Scriptures
three times. Satan quoted one verse from the Psalms, deliberately
misapplying it, and Jesus responded by defending
God’s Word against this misuse.—Matthew 4:6, 7.
12 Jesus often defended the Holy Scriptures against misuse,
misinterpretation, and misrepresentation. The religious
teachers of his day represented God’s Word in an
unbalanced way. They put a lot of emphasis on observing
the smallest particulars of the Mosaic Law but very little
on applying the principles on which the laws were based.
They thus encouraged a superficial form of worship, one
concerned with outward appearances rather than with
weightier matters—such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
(Matthew 23:23) How did Jesus defend God’s Law?
13 In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly used
the phrase “you heard that it was said” to introduce a
statute of the Mosaic Law. He would follow up with the
phrase “but I say to you” and then expound on a principle
that went deeper than the superficial observance of
the Law. Was he arguing against the Law? No, he was defending
it. For example, the people well knew the law
“You must not murder.” But Jesus told them that hating
a person violated the spirit of that law. Similarly, nourishing
passion for a person other than one’s mate violated
the principle underlying God’s law against adultery.
—Matthew 5:17, 18, 21, 22, 27-39.
14 Finally, Jesus said: “You heard that it was said, ‘You
must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However,
I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and
to pray for those persecuting you.” (Matthew 5:43, 44)
Was the command to “hate your enemy” drawn from
12-14. (a) How did the religious leaders show disrespect for the Mosaic
Law? (b) How did Jesus defend God’s Word?