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    Jesus’ teaching about what was clean and unclean was a difficult thing for the Pharisees who prided themselves in the actions of their own traditions and laws, many of which were concerned with what was ‘lawful’ and ‘unlawful’, ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’. To the Pharisees, adherence to the law- that is the law of men- was the way that a man proved that he was clean, lawful, and therefore righteous.
    Jesus, however, presented God’s law in the light of its spirit. The Spirit of the Law is that it reveals to us that we are sinners who cannot hope to fulfill the requirements that God has demanded for entry into heaven. The law shows us the nature of what is unclean and unlawful, that is our own sinful behavior.
    Without this realization, there is no need for contrition or repentance. If there is some way for us to fulfill the law with our own actions, why do we need a savior? Indeed we do need a savior, because our own self-righteousness convicts us of our sin.
    And that is why God the Father sent His Son as our Savior, because we cannot save ourselves even if and when we try. He sent His Son to live the life we cannot live, pure, lawful, and righteous from the inside. Then, God the Father placed the burden of all of our sin, including our self-righteousness on our Saviors shoulders on Good Friday.
    In Jesus’ death we have been made clean and lawful, and therefore righteous, through the power of the redemption. And even then we are not saved by anything we do, for the gift of faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection is given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word.
    Only then, saved by Grace, does anything we do have any meaning in the Kingdom of Heaven, and not because we do it for our redemption, but because we do it for the furtherance of the Kingdom because God has given us those things to do. By redemption we are fully freed of the law that we may live by Grace.
DLH
