I have a lot of notes on Chapter 5 of Matthew, even more than what I'm posting here.
Instead of posting my sermon notes this week, I've decided to post these notes from which my sermon notes come, because it's more than I ever could have said, but is still worth communicating. I hope you find them useful and challenging, as I do.
Matthew 5
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 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. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew Chapters 5-7 – First Discourse – The Sermon on the Mount
Describing how YOU as an individual will change as who you are becoming looks more like who you belong to.
This is neither a description of entry requirements for the Kingdom of Heaven, nor is it instructions on how to advance it. Interestingly, Jesus never suggests in any of his teachings that the kingdom of heaven needs your help to advance. Once it says that it IS advancing, but with no indication that it needs our help to do so. Nowhere does it say that it is being "built". Often it says that it is growing and present and near and coming. We are described as participants in the kingdom. But the heavy lifting has been done. We've just been invited to get our hands dirty in the garden.
These three chapters of the Bible may be more widely read than any other portion of scripture. But if we divorce these chapters from the rest of the Bible, and take them simply as Jesus ethical living guidebook, you remove the heart and soul from it entirely.
(Gandhi, Albert Shweitzer, Leo Tolstoy, Søren Kierkegaard, Barack Obama)
We are tempted as we read these chapters to make them all about us. Why? Because we are individualistic, selfish, and moralistic beings. We like to think we're good people who, if just put on the right track, can build our own little kingdom of goodness and morality from the raw materials of our strong inner character.
But this is not the costly discipleship that Jesus is talking about. He tells us to give up and give over our materials and our tools to him. When all we've got left is the dirt of the ground, God tills up the soil, plants seeds of his kingdom, and the life described in this Sermon sprouts forth.
The same Jesus who said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:48) also said (regarding inner righteousness over outward behavior), “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matthew 15:18-20).
The same Jesus who said, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:20) also said, (to the Pharisees about putting outward action ahead of inward holiness) “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26. See also vv27-28) .
These passages are not contradictory. On the contrary, they reveal exactly what the Sermon on the Mount is about. Jesus is describing an outward expression of an inward legal and maturing reality.
God's gift of grace cannot be turned into a modern philosophy.
When we make these chapters of Matthew moralistic, it doesn't cost us anything. It may be a difficult ideal, but we can rationalize our way into it.
When we allow these words to be the seeds of the kingdom, submitting to them and allowing them to change us, we belong to Jesus, and he makes us look like him.
WHAT WE DO does not determine WHO WE ARE.
WHOSE WE ARE (our own or Christ's) determines WHO WE BECOME.
Because we identify with Christ, his life becomes evident through us.
Chapter 5 – Extraordinary Citizens of an Extraordinary Kingdom
Jesus is at the exact centre of Jewish life. He is perfectly fulfilling the law, prophesies, and history of God's chosen people. He stands among the disciples and crowds and points outward toward the world that he intends to send them into. They will carry the same promises of Abraham, to go and bless all the nations of the earth through the gospel. He stands on the very edges of the boundaries of his mission field, calling out the invitation to the kingdom.
The Pharisees stand on the edges of proper Jewish religiosity, strictly determining and defining and guarding its' boundaries. They draw the lines tightly. They face in from the outside of those boundaries, making sure to know exactly who is in or out, and turning their backs to those who are out.
Jesus calls his disciples to leave the boundaries of this religion and law, and go everywhere and all over the world to invite people to come in.
vv1-2
WHO IS SPEAKING?
Jesus. From a mountain. Like Moses. He examines and interprets the law of Moses that was handed down by God from Mount Sinai. This is the first of five sermons (discourses) that Jesus gives in the book of Matthew. Five is important to the Jewish people, representing the Torah. They all have five knots on the tassels of their prayer shawls, representing the five books of Moses.
WHO IS PRESENT?
The Crowds - Jesus is speaking to those who are following him. He is very popular right now. Masses of people want to hear what he has to say right now. For them, the sermon is invitational.
The Disciples - Jesus is speaking to those few he has especially called out of the crowd. They have no choice to hear what he has to say as suggestions or niceties. Jesus is their Rabbi, and these are his instructions. For them, the sermon is instructional.
These are more than just the twelve. The twelve were called from his disciples (Luke 6:13)
The Pharisees - It doesn't actually specifically state that the Pharisees were present, but we do know that there were Pharisees and teachers paying attention (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea on the positive end). Also, anyone who was teaching from the law with the sort of popularity and authority that Jesus had at this time would have been checked up on. Jesus includes implications of the Pharisees in the Sermon (teaching on prayer and fasting, for example). Jesus calls the hypocrites "they" in ch6, but "you" in ch7. This sermon was not a secret, and if they weren't present (which is unlikely) they would have checked in on what he had to say from those who were present, or at least would have listened to the podcast. Jesus opposes the religious leader's hypocrisy. For them, the sermon is corrective and critical.
WHERE
From a mountain. Likely on a hill now called Eremos (meaning solitary, as in where Jesus prayed), near Capernaum. It is craggy and unfarmable, so a large crowd could gather without disturbing farmland.
Mountains in Matthew
4:8-temptation
5:1-2- sermon on the mount
17:1-transfiguration
24:3-olives
28:16-comission
Jesus does not give a new law. Jesus fulfills the law. (v17)
Jesus is teaching the disciples, but with an eye on the crowd for the one who
will call out that he is Lord, and become a disciple (18:18,21 17:14-15)
vv3-12 – The Beatitudes
Blessed - Greek makarios - Latin beati, from which we get "Beatitudes".
This blessing speaks to an inner spiritual state caused by the favour of an unchanging and immovable God, and not an emotional state in response to changing circumstances
Søren Kierkegaard and Leo Tolstoy (and many others) wrote of the Sermon on the Mount as entrance requirements to Gods Kingdom. This perspective appropriately recognizes that these writings are revolutionary and radically affecting, but fails to recognize both the greater context of Jesus' life and ministry, as well as the impossibility of attaining the ethical ideals of the sermon.
The Sermon on the Mount reveals the results of participating in Kingdom life, not the means of attaining it.
Martin Luther interprets Jesus teaching on the law as an impossible ideal, intended primarily to reveal to us it’s unattainability and our sinfulness, in order to lead us to repentance. But Jesus is speaking to disciples, who have already repented (3:2; 4:17) and committed to follow him. It is unnecessary for him to reveal an impossible ideal to lead them to recognize their sinfulness and repent.
Jesus commands the disciples to attain to this ideal (v48). If his primary purpose was to reveal its' unattainability, he would not have said this.
The Sermon on the Mount reveals human life as renewed by New Covenant life (26:26-29).
Beatitudes
1 - (v3) - poor in spirit – theirs is the kingdom of heaven
2 – (v4) – mourn - comforted
3 – (v5) – meek - inherit the earth
4 – (v6) - hunger and thirst for righteousness - filled
5 – (v7) – merciful - shown mercy
6 – (v8) - pure in heart - see God
7 – (v9) – peacemakers - called children of God
8a – (v10) - persecuted because of righteousness – theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
8b – (vv11,12) - you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me - great is your reward in heaven
(Rejoice and be glad, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.)
1&8- koh now
2-7- koh anticipated
1-ps40:17
3-meek- Jesus is meek (11:29, 21:5), yet is strong enough to rebuke his disciples, stand up to the religious leaders, and willingly endure the cross. Tough guy (The Wrestler). Meek > weak.
8-makes it clear that these are neither
a. Requirements to enter the Kingdom
...or else Jesus would be saying that those who are not physically persecuted cannot be saved.
b. Ethical demands for personal behaviour
...or else Jesus would be suggesting that we must seek out persecution for the sake of his blessing.
8a - "those who" ... for righteousness - acting according to justice
8b - "you" ... for me - for disciples acting according to and for the glory of Jesus
Each beatitude is both an INVITATION to those who think they would be unworthy of the kingdom, and a CONDEMNATION of those who think they are good enough because they have it together. The religious are not named in the beatitudes, and the condemnation of 8b is clearly leveled at them.
vv13-16 – Salt and Light. A City on a Hill.
Jesus is speaking to his disciples first, and then “the masses”. These are people under Roman occupation. He says they ARE the light and salt of the world.
They are persecuted and oppressed. He tells them to love enemies. They are hoping for a Messiah to establish a new political order. Instead of condemning the persecutors, he challenges the oppressed.
Salt
A Preservative
A Seasoning
A Fertilizer (salt of the earth, helping the seeds of the kingdom to grow)
Salt was considered to be vitally important
Salt CANNOT lose its' saltiness unless it is not salt to begin with (gypsum rock gathered by the sea as salt by mistake). False disciples will be recognized for what they are, and have nothing to offer the world.
A city on a hill CANNOT be hidden.
Salt and Light – This is the first mention of Heavenly Father in the gospels relating to the disciples.
These verses make clear that what Jesus is referring to is not only changed behaviour, but changed lives that change lives.
Jesus wants to bring congruency to the inner and outer life.
His Shalom is holistic.
Jesus wants to conform our outward actions to our true inner values, which are changed by the renewal of his indwelling Spirit.
We are the salt of the earth. We are vitally important to God’s mission and plan for the earth. We are not "just passing through". We are INTENTIONAL SOJOURNERS. This may not be our home, but this is a WORKING VACATION.
We are ALWAYS on mission. We are ALWAYS sent. We are ALWAYS salt and light. The kingdom is now. We live as citizens of it now.
WE ARE THE TEASER TRAILER OF THE KINGDOM TO COME
The world sees us to get their little taste if what heaven will be like. We're the travel brochure to the ultimate retirement/honeymoon/vacation destination.
vv17-19 - I Have Come To Fulfill
Fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies, law, and history is one of the main themes of Matthew from beginning to end. In this passage Jesus claims that he has come to fulfill every single speck of every word of the Hebrew Scriptures.
“Fulfilled” in Matthew (not exhaustive)
5:17 - 1:22; 2:15; 2:17; 2:23; 3:15; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54; 26:56; 27:9
Jesus shows us the true purpose of the law.
1. To know God's will and display it to others as a nation set apart (holy) as priests and kings (Ex 19:6).
2. To point out our sinfulness when we fail to meet God's standard (Rom 7:7).
3. To point us to Jesus (Gal 3:24)
Jesus' fulfillment of the law releases us from the law as our vehicle to gain salvation. It was a broken vehicle anyway, and unable to get us there. It never was able to get us there. (Mat 5:17-20, Rom5:18-21, Heb5:7-10)
v20 – Greater Righteousness than the Pharisees
Our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees because it is the righteousness of Christ, given to us by faith in him. This is why the Sermon on the Mount cannot be interpreted as just an ethical blueprint. This misinterpretation makes us the same as a Pharisee.
God changes our heart first - Psalm 51:16-17 - Matt 23:27-28
Phil 3:8 - our FORMER righteousness is rubbish.
By fulfilling the law, Jesus became the only one worthy to interpret it. All other understandings are to be rejected.
vv21-47 – The Antitheses
Jesus does not give a new law, but interprets the law in God’s original intention, allowing us to live not according to its’ rules restraining us from without, but God’s life changing us from within.
“you have heard” - not necessarily scripture, but the interpretation and teaching of scripture. (Matt 15:8-9)
vv21-26 - Murder – God’s intention is mutually respecting, humbly repentant, and nurturing relationships that recognize in one another the image of God and the identity of Christ.
vv27-32 - Adultery (and Covetousness), Divorce – God’s intention is marital unity and oneness that reflects the love and unity between God and his people because of his love. Adultery is a sin against God (Gen 39:9, Ps 51:4), because marriage represents the covenant God makes with us.
vv33-37 - Oaths – God’s intention is for us to live in completely transparent honesty. He wants us to live in the light (1Jn 1:5-7).
vv38-42 - Eye for eye – God’s intention is for us to live with justice, not revenge. True justice in the New Testament is for someone to repent and become a follower of Jesus through faith in his righteousness. Every response to injustice and greed should be met with an action that equally represents the qualities of kingdom life, exposes the offense of the oppressor, and offers an opportunity for the enemy to repent and be welcomed into the kingdom.
Do not RESIST (Greek)
antistenai - to make battle with, to fight back, as in war.
stenai - to stand firm in the face of violent opposition, ready to fight back, as in war.
Eph 6:13 - put on the full armour . . . so that you may be able to WITHSTAND (antistenia, or "resist" in Matthew) . . . stand (stenia) firm.
To not resist an evil person is to not VIOLENTLY resist an evil person. Do not cause harm to them. Creatively give opportunity for redemption.
We WILL resist evil persons, but not on their terms, but on God's terms.
Nonresistance for oneself combined with armed resistance on behalf of a neighbour began with Augustine's interpretation of Matthew 5, which was adopted by the reformers (along with a lot of Augustine's writings) and thus became an infrequently challenged assumption of protestant Christianity.
(from The Powers that Be)
v39 – Slaps right cheek – Jesus is referring to a common offense of the more powerful occupying Roman citizens physically abusing and demeaning the Jewish residents. To slap with the back of the hand (to specify the right cheek means they’re hitting this way, since the right hand is dominant) shows dominance. To offer the other cheek (left) is to invite the offender to slap or hit with the palm or fist, and treat the offended as an equal.
v40 – Sue – A legal reality that overtaxed citizens could be sued for everything they had except one piece of clothing to pay their debt. To give the last piece of clothing is enormously generous on one hand, and leaves you naked on the other. The nakedness exposes to shame the oppression of the dominant force.
v41 - Extra mile – This is a legal reality. The Romans could compel anyone who wasn’t working to do 1000 paces worth of free labour. This could mean carrying their load or helping to build a road. Simon of Cyrene is the best example of the Roman’s legal right to make this demand (Matt 27:32). The second mile (1000 paces) is given freely, as a free citizen, from a heart of generosity. Imagine the conversations that would be had for that second mile.
v42 - Give – vv39-40 had to do with those with greater power. v42 deals with those with lesser power who may intrude into the disciple’s life, and even leverage manipulation from their place of need (“eveil person” v38). Jesus gives us no opportunity to judge the merit of the request. We are to give. Not because it is deserved, but because it is asked. Luke 6:34 indicates this is a person unlikely to repay. Luke 6:35 extends the loans to enemies as well. This is a generosity that goes even beyond "common sense". We cannot pat ourselves on the back for this sort of generosity.
There is nothing we have in our possession in this temporary existence that we should not hold loosely.
Jesus as our example of this kind of generosity
1Peter 2:20-25
2 Peter 2:1
Romans 5:8-10
vv43-47 - Love enemies. Be extraordinary.
Jesus loves the world
2 Peter 3:9
John 3:16
v47 - What more . . . – “more” greek “perissos” –superabundant or extraordinary. The same word as Eph 3:20.
We are called to be more than common or ordinary. Disciples are extraordinary. We are peculiar. A common life is not discipleship.
V48 – Be perfect, as your Father is perfect
Love is God's primary characteristic. 1 John 4:16
In all things and in all ways, as disciples we are to emulate our Rabbi, Jesus, who has come to perfectly represent to us the Father. We are to be as the Father is in every way. This is perfect discipleship.
Good news! Matthew uses the future tense here. This is a command and a promise. We will be perfect.
This (tense) also means that this is a goal, not a requirement.
Perfect denotes wholeness and completeness
This is a hopeful command, because it contains the promise that will make it so.
2 Cor 3:18 - we are being transformed.
1 John 3:2 - we will be like God
If we rest in our positional righteousness, we will be complacent and disobedient.
If our focus is entirely on righteousness realized, we will become self-condemned, and be led either to perfectionism and pharisaism, or we will quit from failure.
We must rest entirely in God's gift of love, while allowing our dissatisfaction with our incomplete journey press us toward growth and maturity. Both are the work of God and gifts of grace, so we cannot boast in either.
Conclusions from Chapter 5
“God never intended for us to simply be the objects of His love. But also to be the instruments of that love in the lives of others.” (by someone who isn’t me)
What does it mean to love as God loves? No matter how much I love you, I will always love Kate more, and she will always be a higher priority.
Still, I can love all people appropriately and as God does if I consider love this way:
All people are made in the image and likeness of God, and are therefore valuable, and worthy of dignity, respect, and love.
Every single person I have any relationship with is infinitely loved by their infinite Creator, who generously gave the life of his Son so that they could be saved, without question of their deserving it (they don't), or whether they will understand (they won't), receive or appreciate it (they may not).
God has a purpose for every single relationship in my life, from my wife to the bagger at the grocery store, to be glorified, to be honoured, and to see myself and the other party reconciled to himself. These things should be reflected in all of my relationships.
I recognize that I have the opportunity to reflect the nature of God by seeking to honour, respect, and forgive anyone I have relationship with, and to seek to remain in and make straight paths for relationships to remain healthy and nurturing.
I commit to give myself unconditionally to whatever person I am in relationship with to bring that relationship to God's purpose.
ch6
Giving. Praying. Fasting.
Do them all in secret for God, not publicly for others.
"Our Father" is a CORPORATE prayer, not an individual one.
v34 - do not worry about tomorrow. Heavenly Father knows what you need.
ch7
v11 - Jesus is constantly referring to his good heavenly Father all through this sermon.
v29 - Jesus taught with authority.
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