For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:18-19 (ESV)]
While we now know what is meant by an iota and dot, jot and tittle, or yod and kots, we wonder what Jesus means by “the least of these commandments!” If the smallest letter is as important as the largest and the smallest flourish on the smallest letter in Scripture was not to be eliminated, how can there be a “lesser” commandment? The confusion again comes from reading an English translation of a Greek rendering of the original Hebrew. Jesus probably was using a popular Jewish idiom “mitsvot kalot” meaning “light” commandments, rather than “mitsvot ketanot,” meaning less important or small commandments. While this seems a bit like splitting hairs, it reflects Jewish thinking in Jesus’ day when a distinction was made between “light” and “weighty” commandments when comparing one to another.
The rabbis regarded Deut. 22:6-7, a law prohibiting taking a mother bird if you happen upon her in a nest with eggs or young in it, as the least or lightest commandment. They regarded the one about honoring one’s parents in Ex. 20:12 and Deut. 5:16 among the greatest or weightiest. If you look at those very two different commandments, one of which seems more important than the other, you’ll find they both promise a reward for obedience—a long life in which things will go well. These are the only two commandments promising a specific reward and, with both the light and weighty commandments promising the same reward, the rabbis taught that each was to be obeyed.
People were to be as conscientious about heeding a light or minor commandment as they were of obeying a weighty or major one. Reflecting this thought, the late 1st century Jewish teacher Simeon ben Azzai taught, “Be quick in performing a minor commandment as in the case of a major one, and flee from transgression; For one commandment leads to another.” Two completely unrelated commands that both offered the same reward illustrated the importance of the entire law and Jesus’ words reiterated that same concept!
With His words, Jesus was making it clear that the Pharisees and scribes didn’t have a monopoly on zealousness for Scripture. Although He often was accused of being against the law, Jesus’ disagreement with the religious leaders of His day wasn’t with the law; it was with their addition of hundreds of man-made petty rules that were elevated to the level of God’s word. In true rabbinic fashion, they even added extra rules to the “lightest” commandment, adding that it only applied to wild birds and didn’t apply if the mother bird was just hovering over the nest (unless her wing touched the nest)!
Jesus’ reference to these laws further emphasizes what He said about the yod and kots—that God’s law is changeless, eternal, and complete. His reference to these two specific laws shows God’s concern for both significant and seemingly insignificant acts and makes it clear there is no such thing as a “little sin.” It also points to God’s compassion and love. Since He cared enough for His creation to give a commandment protecting the welfare of a baby birds, consider how much more He cares for the welfare of His own children—the ones made in His image!
Let us remember that, when Jesus freed us from the burdensome commands of the Old Testament Law, He did not free us from God’s law.
Devotions of the Heart 