promised Savior, the Son of God, and through their faith in him they may have life. Good News Translation: 1445.
In this case, John presents Jesus as the manifestati on of God‟s word. His
presence is to be the promised savior. John puts the attention more to the characteristic of Jesus as the
“eternal life”, the gift from God and the way Jesus gives spiritual meaning to some common things such as bread, water, the
shepherd and his sheep, the light, grapevine and its fruit John: 1445. Though Jesus in each gospel is presented differently, the writer tends to
see him as a unified person. In this case, any different background of characterizing Jesus from each gospel is not presented. What the writer wants to
see is not the background of each gospel but the way Jesus, as a unified character, can be analyzed from literary perspective.
Torah, for the Jewish people, is considered sacred. Torah is the guidance of their live where they have to obey the rules in it. Comparing to the Jewish
authorities who have authority to teach and preserve Torah, Jesus has his own understanding and attitude toward Torah. It is not reflected only through what he
preaches but also through what he does. It is important to observe it one by one from the gospels.
1. Reinterpretation of Anger Matthew 5: 21-25
In this occasion, Jesus preaches many people who follow him about the punishment given to those who are intentionally angry with someone else for
certain occasion. Based on the Jewish Torah, anger which caused murder is a sin and those who perform it should be put to death.
Whoever hits someone and kills him is to be put to death…when someone gets angry and deliberately kills someone else, he is to be put to death,
even if he has run to my altar for safety Exodus 21: 12-14. From this statement, it is clear that anyone who is angry and kill someone
else must be punished as he violates the Law. This can be said that anger which leads someone to commit murder is forbidden. The Jewish Law comments
nothing on anger unless it causes murder. However, in this occasion, Jesus says that
…if you are angry with your brother you will be brought to trial, if you call your brother „You good for-nothing‟ you will be brought before the
Council, and if you call your brother a worthless fool you will be in danger of going to the fire of hell Matthew 5: 22.
In his words, Jesus means that even to angry with someone is a sin and
those who do that should be judged and even to suffer in hell. Anger, according to Jesus, is forbidden though it does not always cause murder. He adds that
So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift
there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God Matthew 5: 23-24.
In his word, Jesus means that in order to give a gift to God, it is better for
someone to set himself free from anger and forgive his brother first rather than merely go give the gift with sinful heart caused by anger. In this teaching, Jesus
gives his reinterpretation of Torah by giving some new additional ideas about what Torah says about anger. In his words, Jesus wants to say that even anger is
actually being a problem.
2. Reinterpretation of Adultery Matthew 5: 27-30
In this occasion, Jesus talks about adultery to many people and the punishment that should be given to those who perform adultery. According to the
Jewish Law, Torah, committing adultery is a sin. It is written in the Law that “If a man commits adultery with the wife of an Israelite, both he and the woman shall
be pu t to death” Leviticus 20: 10. Jewish Law also forbids sexual intercourse
with relatives. “Do not have sexual practice with any of your relatives” Leviticus 18: 6. Adultery, according to Torah, is forbidden because it disgraces people
especially our rel atives. However, in this teaching, Jesus says that “…anyone who
looks at a woman and wants to poses her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart” Matthew 5: 28. In this point, Jesus wants to say that adultery is not
only about physically sexual intercourse. Adultery, according to Jesus, also can take place in human‟s mind. It is by thinking of desiring to do it with any woman.
Jesus also adds that …if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away It is
much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have whole body thrown into hell Matthew 5:29.
In this case, Jesus wants to say that it is better for someone to have his part
of the body which leads him to sin taken out and thrown away rather than have it fully but thrown away into hell. Jesus uses eye as the example as eye is used to
see something. Even though someone does not commit adultery physically, he does sin in mind by looking at someone else and desiring to have a sexual
intercourse. In his teaching, Jesus gives his reinterpretation of Torah by giving a new additional idea that adultery is not limited only to the physical contact of a
