Year 2, Week 31, Day 3 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 31, Day 3

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Matthew 5-6.

Today’s reading provides the opening segment of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Yesterday’s reading from Luke 6 recorded a different sermon by Jesus, but as it was noted, there are parallels to what Luke called the sermon “on a level place” (Luke 6:17), with Matthew’s location for Jesus’ message: “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him” (Matthew 5:1). The sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) is the first of five major discourses in Matthew (see also Matthew 10,13,18, and 24-25). In the sermon of the mount Jesus expounds on the radical reality of everyday discipleship lived in the presence and power of the kingdom of God. It is suggested by some that the setting of a mountain for this message connects Jesus with Moses, whose ascent up Mount Sinai to receive the law conveys that Jesus is the new lawgiver. Matthew has already linked Jesus to Moses in particular and Israel in general, but here, in the sermon on the mount, Jesus will be shown to be much more than another lawgiver, for Jesus is truly the Lord over the law as He has the authority to apply the law to it fullest intentions and outcomes: “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” (Matthew 5:17).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was Jesus’ treatment of the law: “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:18-20). The Gospel of the kingdom does not replace the Old Testament, but fulfills it by completing and clarifying God’s intent for the entire Old Testament. Identifying the tiniest components of the written text, Jesus confirms the entire Old Testament as a valid expression of God’s will for all the ages. As, what I have termed, Lord of the law, Jesus has ultimate interpretive authority over the meaning of the law. As He interprets the law, not relaxing the smallest detail, Jesus calls His disciples to a righteousness different from that of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees; He calls them to a kingdom of righteousness that works from the inside out.

Matthew 6:21-48 contains six antitheses. Each segment begins with some variation of: “You have heard that it was said” (Matthew 6:21,27,31,33,38, and 43) then add some variation of: “But I say to you” (Matthew 6:22,28,32,34,39, and 44). Jesus’ take on the law enables His followers to represent Him faithfully before the world: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). Christ’s followers are not to lose our saltiness nor hide our light. But as we live life, as defined by such a fuller understanding of God’s will, the result will be a life that praises God: “that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16b).

To consider just one of the examples of being salt and light—that is, a life with an exceeding display of righteousness—Jesus directs us to do more than restraining ourselves from physically murdering someone: “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:22). The command “Do not murder” seems easy enough to keep. But if groundless anger and slanderous talk are murder, then murderers abound. More than that, followers of Jesus seek peace: “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23). Do not murder does not merely pertain to dealing with anger, but also with seeking reconciliation. Making peace, which requires priority, even, at times, over worship, often requires  doing hard things: confessing sins, admitting mistakes, and learning to turn away wrath. Making peace: “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison” (Matthew 5:25).

But just from the example of murder, anger, and peacemaking, Jesus’ instructions are internalized and intensified. Jesus not only forbids murder, He further forbids the dispositions that lead to murder. Jesus forbids the anger and disdain that motivate murder. But moving even further, Jesus commands us to seek to remove dispositions that lead to murder from others: If “your brother has something against you,” go to him before he seeks to murder you, but also go to him before his anger festers against you: “lest your accuser hand you over to the judge.” Not only are Jesus’ instructions internalized and intensified, they are impossible: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). And yet, as daunting as Jesus’ instructions are, there is a way that they not be deemed impossible. They are only impossible if we have only the kind of righteousness that the religious leaders had: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The starting point for exceeding righteousness is acknowledging our lack: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Then the realization of exceeding righteousness is found in having a Father who gives generously: “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:32-33).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe