When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Matthew 7:28, 29

As I understand it the greatest Jewish teachers were experts in examining all the religious laws and how they should be applied to daily living.  They offered their findings as “opinions.”  The scholars and students of the Holy Writings were highly honored and respected.  Often their opinions were adopted as requirements.

As the New Testament opens we note that the professional teachers of the Law, whether Sadducees or Pharisees, had a problem with Jesus.  He seemed to have no interest in dissecting and explaining the Law, he spoke of obeying God. This was just too ambiguous for such teachers who wanted it all spelled out – the more detail, the better.  Jesus seemingly had no time for that.  He had a higher law, “Come, follow me.”

Therefore, none of the major Jewish schools of thought, experts in Biblical interpretation, could incorporate Jesus into their teaching.  This list of Jesus’ “Blessings” simply did not fit into the world view of any of the contemporary experts. They saw no need for a person like Jesus, to teach them, because they were the experts, so be it.

I try to imagine how jarring Jesus’ teaching was for them.  Every statement seemed to undercut their belief that obedience to the Law was the way to salvation.  Jesus had none of that.

He taught that obedience to the Law was the way God’s people should live. But following Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God, called for something entirely different, walking with God, obeying Him with the whole heart.  The Jewish teachers of the Law could not even begin to think like that.  They were convinced that the way to please God was to obey the Law, as the teachers defined it.

They were aghast when Jesus spoke because he did so with authority, the authority of the Son of God.  They could not swallow that.  But they could not deny his compelling authority.