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Our Lord Jesus Christ calls a breaker of the law “the least in the kingdom” (Mt 5:19). In St. James' 2:10, a breaker of the law is described as “guilty of all". Will a sinner be permitted with an insignificant entity; or will he not be admitted at all into the kingdom?

If you read the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 5:19 and 20, you will have the whole picture. 5:19 states, "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." 5:20 states, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

Our Lord Jesus Christ was trying to gradually teach the people a new concept that was different from the teaching of the Pharisees. "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments" was a Pharisees teaching remarkable for ranking matters in the law on a weight or value scale.

They divided the precepts of the law into lesser and greater teachings. Therefore they who violated the former were guilty of a minor offence only. One of the Pharisees once asked the Lord Jesus Christ, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" (Matthew 22:36) and the Lord Jesus Christ, warning them said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone" (Matthew 23:23).

"Whosoever shall break" encompasses the concept of wholeness with which Christianity regards the law. In the New Testament there is no value scale attached to our actions. Any violation of God�s Word whether through our actions,words,or wrong interpretation of the Word of God, shall be called least�that is to say, shall be considered wrong; and the violator will  have no place in the kingdom of glory above. This interpretation is confirmed in the verse that follows right after "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:20).

He that teaches that all the law of God is binding, and that all of it   should be obeyed, without attempting to specify what is most important, shall be a teacher worthy of his office, and shall be called great. Hence, we learn that all the law of God is binding on Christians (James 2:10).

St. John Chrysostom in his homily on this verse says, "But when thou hearest, "least in the kingdom of Heaven," surmise thou nothing but hell and torments, for He meant by "the kingdom," not merely the enjoyment thereof, but also the time of the resurrection, and that awful coming. And how could it be reasonable, that while he who called his brother fool, and transgressed but one commandment, falls into hell; the breaker of them all, and instigator of others to the same, should be within the kingdom. This therefore is not what He means, but that such a one will be at that time least, that is, cast out, last. And he that is last will surely then fall into hell. For, being God, He foreknew the laxity of the many, He foreknew that some would think these sayings were merely hyperbolical, and would argue about the laws, and say, what, if any one call another a fool, is he punished? If one merely looks on a woman, doth he become an adulterer? For this very cause He, destroying such insolence beforehand, hath set down the strongest denunciation against either sort, as well them who transgress, as them who lead on others so to do. Knowing then His threat as we do, let us neither ourselves transgress, nor discourage such as are disposed to keep these things."

In chapter 2 of the Holy Book of James, James the bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, writes about the Law of Love. Verses 8-13 tell us that the true standard of judgment is perfect faith manifest in perfect works. The lesson here more specifically, is that we will be judged by the same standard we judge others with. How merciful we are to others will determine how much mercy we will get.

In the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 5:19, "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Righteousness is emphasized in this verse; and according to the Law, it is the observance of the least of these, which secures the observance of the greatest; while the violation of the very least equals the violation of the greatest. To do right without guiding others lessens the reward of righteousness. The lesson present in this verse is that we ought to do right and teach ourselves before we attempt to instruct others.

Often, when reading the Holy Bible the verses must be taken in context within which they are written as well as in conjunction with the verses written before and after. I strongly encourage you to continue in your Holy Scriptures readings.