In this section, Jesus provides six specific examples of what it looks like to fulfill the law, rather than simply to follow it. The list of examples is not meant to be comprehensive. It is meant to be illustrative; that is, to get our imaginations going about how rules function differently in God’s kingdom than they do in the kingdoms of the world. Rules exist not to be followed, but to be fulfilled.
For instance:
Or, again: more generally, what would it look like for you to fulfill the rules, rather than just to follow them?
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”