14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. (Luke 16:14-18 KJV )
The Law and the Kingdom of God
The Pharisees mocked Jesus (Luke 16:14). Though unable to answer him, they ridiculed him. Their greed was their ruling passion. Many religious people are ruined by love of the world. The word of God became a reproach to them (Jeremiah 6:10). They mocked Christ for confronting their sin. But God’s word cannot be dismissed so easily.
Jesus endured scorn. Though he spoke with divine wisdom, he was mocked—so his ministers might not lose heart. Christ’s apostles were mocked too. The servant is not above his master.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees—not for mocking him, but for deceiving themselves with a show of religion (Luke 16:15). Outwardly, they appeared righteous. They justified themselves, denied Christ’s charges, and presented themselves as holy. People praised them and treated them as spiritual authorities.
But God saw their hearts—and he found them full of evil. It is foolish to justify ourselves before others and rely on their opinion. God sees what others cannot. What people esteem may be abominable to him. Conversely, the world may despise those whom God accepts (2 Corinthians 10:18).
Jesus turned from them to the publicans and sinners (Luke 16:16). “The law and the prophets were until John,” he said. The old system centered on the Jews and the law. The Pharisees prided themselves on this. But since John, the kingdom is preached, and everyone presses into it—Jew and Gentile alike. People see their need for salvation and press urgently into it, without waiting for the religious elite.
Some think Jesus said this because the Pharisees mocked his words against riches. They may have cited promises of wealth in the Old Testament and pointed to rich saints like Abraham. Jesus says, “True, but now things are different: blessed are the poor, the mourners, and the persecuted.”
The Pharisees promoted a shallow religion. But now that the gospel is preached, people see the truth. They no longer honor the Pharisees or settle for easy religion. They press into the kingdom with urgency. Those who want to go to heaven must strive, resist the current, and push through the crowd going the other way.
Yet Jesus insists he has not canceled the law (Luke 16:17). “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of the law to fail.” The moral law remains—its duties are still binding. The gospel explains and reinforces it. The ceremonial law is fulfilled in the gospel and now shines as type and symbol, especially in Hebrews. Though its legal force is gone, its spiritual message remains.
Some things were permitted under the law to avoid greater harm. The gospel removes those permissions and restores the law’s intent—such as in the case of divorce (Luke 16:18; Matthew 5:32; Mt 19:9). Christ forbids it because the gospel strikes at the root of sinful desire, aiming to destroy it—not indulge it. The more sin is indulged, the more uncontrollable it becomes.