“Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:19, NIV

In a discussion on social media recently, the subject of the ‘most terrible’ moral sin came up.

Basing on different people’s perspectives, from the contemporary Church perspective, at least, the huge elephant in the room is homosexuality.

Most people – both Christians and non-believers – would never touch a gay person even with a one-mile stick.

For many others still, it is fornication and adultery.

A cheating spouse or a girl getting pregnant out of wedlock would be an ‘unforgivable sin,’ deserving of one being kicked out of the church.

Apparently, we have been made to believe that some sins such as telling lies, gossip, jealousy, bitterness, petty theft or misappropriating other people’s money are somehow tolerable; you’re alright as long as you don’t commit the ‘big sins.’

But according to the Bible, the most direct definition of ‘sin’ is found in 1 John 3:4, which states, “Sin is the transgression of the law.”

This means breaking God’s commands, whether they are specific rules or general principles for righteous living.

The Hebrew word for ‘sin’ chatta’ah, and the Greek word, hamartia, both originally meant “to miss the mark ” – like a shooting trainee missing the target.

In a spiritual sense, this signifies falling short of God’s perfect standard for righteous living, thus in need of a Saviour.

But sin is not just breaking a rule; it’s more of an act of defiance against God’s authority and a rejection of His will (see Deuteronomy 9:7).

For example, the first sin in the Garden of Eden was not any of the ‘terrible sins’ we abhor today; it was an act of disobedience and a desire to be independent of God (see Genesis 3).

Indeed, I think we all commit the sin of Adam and Eve on a daily basis while at the same time pretending to be “holier than other people who commit terrible sins!”

In our meditation today, our Lord Jesus highlights whoever sets aside one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same would be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

The point here is that coming short on “one of the least of the commands” is as serious as committing the so-called ‘big’ sins.

This points to the importance of wholehearted obedience and submission to all of God’s word.

To think that some of God’s commands are insignificant reveals a lack of reverence for God’s authority.

Indeed, to think that some of God’s commands are insignificant reveals a lack of reverence for God’s authority.

Paradoxically, some people put aside God’s commands in a vain attempt to appear ‘great’ before people – powerful, wealthy and influential.

However, Jesus is showing us that true greatness in God’s kingdom isn’t about wielding earthly power or status, but about a humble and obedient heart that seeks to honor God in every aspect of life and influences others to do the same.

True righteousness involves taking all of God’s instructions seriously, even those that might seem minor.

To deliberately disregard or downplay any part of God’s law demonstrates a lack of loyalty and commitment to the One who set those commands in place.

James 2:10 says; “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”  

Those who are lax in their loyalty to God and consequently lead others astray would be the least – they will have diminished spiritual impact in God’s Kingdom.

Of course, this was also a veiled jab on the hypocritical and power-seeking Pharisees and the religious class of the time who would conveniently pay more attention on a handful of God’s commands while creating loopholes on others and teaching their followers to do the same.

In essence, Jesus is teaching that genuine religion is demonstrated through a consistent and wholehearted obedience to all God’s commands, coupled with a desire to guide others towards living a godly life that honors God.