Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5

Matthew Chapter 5

Jesus begins to teach. This section encompasses so much that a lifetime could be devoted to its study and yet more would still remain to be discovered. But a lifetime of study would miss the point of it because Jesus’ teachings are about actions. Real actions in a real world require real attitudes. Study leads to understanding, which is important, but can often lead to legalism, the Law. A life lived in these words of Jesus, leads to compassion and acts of righteousness. This section is all about a transformed heart which allows the Law to be lived as it should be, through compassion, not legalism.

Jesus begins with the beatitudes. Attitudes to hold in life. Attitudes which will bring blessings. These attitudes will end in persecution, just as they persecuted the prophets, and in time, Jesus. How can persecution be a blessing? The blessings are earthly possessions but rather the ability to handle life in a peaceful and godly manner. Persecution comes because we are the salt and the light, which is too much for the world to handle. The world is used to a bland, dark world. To challenge it with salt and light invites persecution.

The Law had been turned into a legal system bent on control. Jesus is going to free the Law and therefore the people, from legalism. The Law starts in the heart. Actions start in the heart. Without a heart set on God, transformed in the spirit, the best it can do is legalism. And the worst it can do is evil. But a transformed heart makes sense of the Law through compassion, mercy and peace.  The spirit of the Law which moves a transformed heart is an attitude of mercy, hope, forgiveness and compassion. It is going beyond the expected, the strict confines of what is required to the openness of a tender heart intent on right actions. Righteousness and legalism may look similar in actions but are worlds apart in intention. Righteousness is only possible through an open and transformed heart intent on God through the spirit. 

Matthew Chapter 4

Matthew Chapter 4

After baptism come temptation and a wilderness experience. This experience is part of the winnowing process which turns a “calling” into a “ministry.”  Every new believer will go through a similar experience. If one is true to the calling of God then you will follow where God leads depending upon God for guidance, even if that means into the wilderness. Jesus rebuts the devil with words from Scripture. But these words reflect a willingness to be in God’s hands not tempted to take a short cut to success which is often just a trap. Israel went though a time in the wilderness, but they failed in obedience. Here in this time, Jesus remains faithful to God and his calling. And when it is done angels come to minister. A respite from the tempter does not mean the job is done. It means it is time to start working on the real task set before you. Beating temptation is not the active ministry only the prelude to active ministry. Devils and angels, if you are not in the hands of one you are in the care of the other.

Now Jesus is ready for his ministry to begin. Ordained by God, tempted by the devil, his course is set. Jesus takes up John’s message: “repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near.” A theme seen in the Gospel of Mark, but a theme developed much more in this Gospel.

Jesus goes out to the common people, not the professionals and experts. Jesus seeks his first disciples among the average people, not religious leaders or other rabbis. And four fishermen respond. Why? Did they know Jesus? Did they sense his power or hear his words? Were they looking for a reason to escape the common life? Were they looking for excitement and a change of pace? Did they know the consequences of their “yes” to Jesus?

We see Jesus’ power revealed in the next section. He heals many. People are attracted to power, power that heals and a message of repentance draws the crowds. There seems no limit to Jesus’ power to heal “all” kinds of illness and disease. He is becoming famous. Now that his resume has been established, his power revealed and crowds gathered we get a glimpse at his teachings. He taught the disciples and the crowds. The next three chapters look at the teachings of Jesus in depth. It is not just a few sentences strung together or a few parables as we see in the Gospel of Mark, this next section reveals the heart of Jesus’ teachings and attitudes.

Matthew Chapter 3

Matthew Chapter 3

John stood outside the religious norm. He appears as a wild-man, a prophet, a revivalist even. His call to repent was for a transformed life, turned and changed. It is a lifestyle calling, not situational forgiveness. All the country was drawn to him, where they confessed sin and were baptized. His name was known. And he stood against the religion of the day. Fruit of repentance is more important than position or religion of birth. Purification is on its way and only the good fruit will survive, for the Holy Spirit and fire will not tolerate chaff regardless of its birthright.

Then Jesus comes, an unknown figure, but recognized by the known figure of John. John’s baptism is symbolic leading to a new life. Jesus is baptism of spirit, which is life. And the life in the spirit is fire that purifies or burns up depending upon what is aflame.

Righteousness must be fulfilled. There is a proper order to things. First the forerunner comes, then the one announced appears. This is ordained by God and the baptism is blessed by word and spirit. Fulfillment of righteousness can be a good and beautiful thing, but it can also lead to very agonizing experiences. The path of righteousness that the Messiah will take passes through both peace and pain, as we see in the next section. It is not all rose gardens, flowing water and blessings. There is also hunger, wilderness and temptations.

Matthew Chapter 2

Matthew Chapter 2

Magi come from the East following the signs in nature that something new has come. They come to find a king and yet the Jews do not know of him, nor the secular rulers. The distant Magi are more in tune with the divine workings through nature than the close by leaders with Scripture. Some times distance and a change of perspective will reveal what cannot be seen up close.

Scripture supports what nature had revealed and the Magi discerned: the time, place and person of the Christ. But the Magi by turning to the rulers of the land while searching for the Christ alert those rulers to the birth of the Christ. Immediately plots and actions are put into place to stop the Christ from coming. But God cannot be easily thwarted. Like the dream that warned Joseph of the proper action towards Mary, so the Magi receive a dream of the proper action towards Herod.

The Magi had to come but in so doing they alerted Herod to Jesus existence causing problems whereas Joseph and family had to flee until the problem was dealt with. In life we are often the source of problems, even unknowingly. We are also the receiver of problems. God did not need Joseph in Egypt; he just needed them away from Jerusalem. Sometimes we see solutions as an ending but it is just a moment in time until the next step of the journey is readied for us. Herod could have responded in many ways but his choice sent Joseph and family on a certain course of action. Joseph could have become bitter towards Herod, or even God for those events. And perhaps he did, but he stayed faithful. Later they were able to return to the Promised Land. The events of today may change tomorrow and the outcome may be different then we expect. But staying with God, in God, will bring about the best possible outcome even if the moment seems lost. Despair is looking at the past leading to the present, not the present leading to the future. Hope is looking towards the future standing in the present. Magi came in hope of finding the King. Joseph hopeful of the future obeyed God and fled to Egypt even thought it was an uncertain move.

Dreams and nature play important roles in this chapter. Nature brings the Magi to Jesus. Dreams help to determine the safest course of actions. How often do we turn to nature to find the way or listen to dreams to discern the correct course of actions? But also throughout this chapter Scripture appears. Scripture confirms what is known through nature or dreams. The three work together to discern, affirm and confirm the way to God.

Matthew Chapter One

Matthew Chapter One

This Gospel includes a genealogy. Obviously the lineage of Jesus as an identifier of Jesus’ authority had become important. Speculation on the need to define Jesus’ identity could run rampant and many questions could be asked but not fully answered. I think it is safe to leave it at there was a need in the community to define Jesus’ identity and this genealogy fulfills that need. It is a marker to Jesus as the Christ through both kingship (Son of David) and spiritual heritage (Son of Abraham). Jesus fulfills the role of earthly king and spiritual priest according to his genealogy. It is a distinctly Jewish lineage naming all the important Jewish figures, which make the inclusion of four Gentile women all the more prominent.

The birth of Jesus, through Mary, is told through Joseph. A Jewish tale. Joseph would do the right thing, which was to divorce her quietly. The compassionate thing would be to take her in and raise the child. And after a visit by an angel that also becomes the right thing to do. Interesting how the compassionate thing and the right thing merge after a divine intervention.

Through God, and Joseph’s obedience, Jesus is brought into the world. He has a divine purpose of which Scripture has spoken. Every section in the first few chapters of Matthew is supported with quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament. Joseph (and Mary) take it in stride. Certainly that says much about their characters.

Gospel According to Matthew, first words

Matthew, first words

Mathew is quite a bit different from the Gospel of Mark. Where Mark is a concise version, a bare-bones outline of the life of Jesus, Matthew is much more detailed. This Gospel spends much more time with the teachings of Jesus. If Matthew was written later, possibly that first generation of believers was beginning to pass on and the first hand accounts of Jesus teachings was being lost. The community would desire a written account to preserve the life and teachings of Jesus for future generations. Certainly large parts of Mark were used as a guideline in the general structure but much new material is provided.

It is possible to see how the community of Christians had developed in their thoughts and faith by looking at the material in Matthew as compared to Mark. In Matthew we have more about the teachings of Jesus, with the Sermon on the Mount being a large part of that. In Mark we have statements such as “And Jesus taught them in the hill country...” which leaves us wondering, what did Jesus teach them? And now we can look to Matthew for those answers.

Another question is raised. As the first generation passed and those eyewitness accounts were lost, other generations naturally would ask, “why should we believe the teachings of Jesus? Who is Jesus?” Without being able to experience the miracles of Jesus or hear him speak first hand it is natural to ask those questions. Matthew begins to answer those questions as well. Jesus identity and heritage is addressed in real terms. This Gospel is a fuller story explaining more about Jesus. Matthew says here is Jesus; this is what he taught and why you should believe him. The need to preserve the credentials of Jesus as Christ became just as important as the need to preserve the teachings of Jesus. The written testimony comes to replace the spoken testimony of the first generation eyewitnesses to Christ.

The organizational structure of Matthew has some interesting points. One should perhaps not read too much into it, but it is thought provoking. If one does a comparison of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and first seven chapters of Matthew certain points become clear.

 

Torah

1. Genesis
2. Chosen family (Abraham)
3. Joseph to Egypt (dreams)
4. Death of all 1st born
5. Parting the Red Sea & Jordan River
6. Forty Years in the wilderness
7. Receiving the Law

Matthew

1. Genealogy
2. Magi to the Holy Family
3. Joseph to Egypt (dreams)
4. Herod kills all children
5. Jesus through the water (baptism)
6. Forty Days in the wilderness
7. Sermon on the Mount

Age of Erosion

Age of Erosion

Mountain breezes

Whisper ancient names

Into my ear

Of eras long gone by.

Kingdoms past away

Like shifting sand

Once proud mountains

Warn by wind

And rainy ice.

Kingdoms crumbled

In breezes

Under mountain heights

Forgotten names of

Forgotten realms,

High mountain pass

Leading into the Wind

Bringing ice to

Devour the mountain.

End in shambles

 And brambles

Ocean sand, slipped away.

From One Year in the Mountains

Copyright 2010