John Calvin Commentary Matthew 5:19

"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." — Matthew 5:19 (ASV)

Whoever then shall break—Christ here speaks expressly of the commandments of life, or the Ten Commandments, which all the children of God ought to take as the rule of their life. He therefore declares that those who do not keep their disciples in obedience to the law are false and deceitful teachers, and that those who weaken the authority of the law in the slightest degree are unworthy to occupy a place in the Church. On the other hand, those who recommend keeping the law, both by word and by example, are honest and faithful ministers of God.

The least commandments is an expression used to accommodate human judgment. For though they do not all have the same weight (some being less than others when compared), yet we are not free to consider anything small that the heavenly Legislator has been pleased to command. For what sacrilege it is to treat with contempt anything that has proceeded from His sacred mouth! This is to reduce His majesty to the level of creatures.

Accordingly, when our Lord calls them little commandments, it is a sort of concession. He shall be called the least—this is an allusion to what He had just said about the commandments, but the meaning is obvious. Those who pour contempt on the doctrine of the law, or on a single syllable of it, will be rejected as the lowest of men.³⁸⁴

The kingdom of heaven means the renewal of the Church, or the prosperous condition of the Church, such as was then beginning to appear through the preaching of the Gospel. In this sense, Christ tells us that he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than John (Luke 7:28). The meaning of that phrase is that God, restoring the world by the hand of His Son, has completely established His kingdom. Christ declares that, when His Church has been renewed, no teachers must be admitted to it but those who are faithful expounders of the law and who labor to maintain its doctrine entire.

But it is asked: Were not ceremonies among the commandments of God, the least of which we are now required to observe? I answer, we must look to the design and purpose of the Legislator. God enjoined ceremonies so that their outward use might be temporal and their meaning eternal. That person does not break ceremonies who omits what is shadowy but retains their effect.

But if Christ banishes from His kingdom all who accustom people to any contempt for the law, how monstrous must be their stupidity who are not ashamed to set aside, by a sacrilegious indulgence, what God strictly demands, and, under the pretext of venial sin, to overthrow the righteousness of the law!³⁸⁵ Again, we must observe the description He gives of good and holy teachers: that not only by words, but chiefly by the example of life, they exhort³⁸⁶ people to keep the law.

³⁸⁴ “Comme 1es plus inutiles du monde;” — “as the most useless in the world.”;” — “as the most useless in the world.”

³⁸⁵ “De mettre la justice de la Loy sous les pieds;” — “to trample the justice of the law under their feet.”;” — “to trample the justice of the law under their feet.”

³⁸⁶ “Ils exhortent et incitent les hommes;” — “they exhort and incite men.”;” — “they exhort and incite men.”