Dear G.L.: One could write a lengthy dissertation
on this particular passage. There are so many
implications. Jesus has been talking about the
relationship of man with his fellow man, how one relates
to a brother. Some of the things that he said are not
just difficult to understand but are difficult to put in a
practical application.
As a general rule, in his
teachings, Jesus is hinting back at something, using
words and phrases well known to his listeners.
Frequently, these are allusions to himself; who He is.
Remember Isaiah 40:3; Mark 1:3; and Luke 3:4,5.
Luke said, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make his
paths straight." Isaiah 35:8 says, "And a highway
shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the
holy way. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it
shall be for the redeemed." John declares that it was
his purpose in coming, "...to prepare the way of the
Lord, to make straight in the desert a pathway for our
God." Jesus declares in John 14:6, "I am the way..."
The teachings of Jesus are difficult. The way of
tsedakah, the way of righteousness, leads to life, but it
is difficult and there are few that walk in it. I think we
can see, beyond the literal interpretation, Jesus
alluding to the fact that He is the way. His teachings
of tsedakah are difficult. Ultimately, man is going to
be judged by how he relates to his fellow man, rather
than the particular religious views he may espouse.
