Jesus launched into an exposition (Mt. 5:17-48) on how to truly practice the Law in day-to-day life. In six “you have heard that it was said … but I tell you” passages, Jesus raised the bar on the rabbinic interpretations of the day by not only looking at the outward behavior but also the inward attitudes and values.[xiii] Jesus was the authoritative interpreter of the Law and called forth the people of God into true obedience.[xiv]
The next part of the Sermon on the Mount explored Jewish religious practices of Jesus’ times.[xv] Jesus addressed three manifestations of religious faith: “when you give to the needy” (Mt. 6:1-4), “when you pray” (Mt. 6:5-15) and “when you fast” (Mt. 6:16-18). In each case, Jesus stressed that these spiritual disciplines have worth when they are done in obedience to God and not for the praise of our fellow man.
Jesus then gave three negative injunctions: “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Mt. 6:19-24), “do not worry” (Mt. 6:25-34) and “do not judge” (Mt. 7:1-6).
In the first part, the call was for Jesus’ followers to examine what they truly value. The issues were explicit in regards to possessions (Mt. 6:19-21) and money (Mt. 6:24). However, the middle portion about “the eye is the lamp of the body” (Mt. 6:22) was less obvious. Carson offered this explanation:
If light is taken in its usual connotations of revelation and purity, then the individual with a single eye toward kingdom values is the person characterized by maximum understanding of divinely revealed truth and by unabashedly pure behavior.[xvi]Upon hearing this teaching of Jesus, the listeners might have thought, but what about the basic necessities of life like food, drink and clothing (Mt. 6:25)? Such anxieties would be a much greater part of first century life compared to typical Americans living in the 21st century. Nevertheless, the second part of this section called for the disciples not to worry. This did not provide permission for irresponsibility. Rather, even on these things, they were to have trust in God (Mt. 6:26, 30, 32-33).[xvii]
The third part of this section offered a reality check upon the human condition. As kingdom people striving to live out Jesus’ high standards of a righteous life, there can be a temptation toward judgmental self-righteousness. Jesus forcefully knocked down such possibilities with the colorful image of one trying to take a speck of sawdust out of someone else’s eyes while having a plank in one’s own (Mt. 7:3-5). Yet, Jesus cautions against the opposite temptation of being undiscriminating with an equally colorful image of casting pearls before pigs (Mt. 7:6).[xviii]
The listeners of Jesus sermon (and us today) may have felt overwhelmed at the calling of living in the kingdom. To this point, Jesus explained the character of kingdom people in the Beatitudes, the standard of obedience to the Law, true religious observance, the imperative of valuing the kingdom above all else, the security of trusting God for the necessities of life and the need to resist self-righteousness. How could one do this? Thus, Jesus called his followers to persistent trust in the goodness of God[xix] by exhorting his potential followers to ask, seek and knock with confidence knowing that “your Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him” (Mt. 7:7-11).
Jesus began to wind down the sermon by summarizing with the famous Golden Rule (Mt. 7:12), “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Interestingly, the negative form of this teaching can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, rabbinic Judaism, Greek and Roman ethical teachings,[xx] and the apocryphal book of Tobit (Tobit 4:15).[xxi] Jesus raised the bar by stating it positively.
Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount by putting forth to the listeners the choice in stark terms with four contrasts.[xxii] Jesus used the metaphor of a narrow gate leading to life versus the wide road leading to destruction (Mt. 7:13-14). The next image was that of a good tree bearing good fruit versus a bad tree bearing bad fruit (Mt. 7:15-20). Thirdly, one group of individuals claimed Jesus as Lord and even did spectacular deeds yet Jesus disavowed them. The implication was that another group claimed Jesus as Lord and was recognized by Jesus as people who did the will of the Father (Mt. 7:21-23). Jesus concluded with the architectural contrast of building a house on the rock versus the sand (Mt. 7:24-27).
In summary, the Sermon on the Mount, the Constitution of the Kingdom, established the way of life of the people of God that grows out a relationship marked by genuine obedience and persistent trust in the goodness of God.
... to be continued
Reference citations:
[xi] Timothy Lin, p. 38.
[xii] D. A. Carson, pp. 29-32.
[xiii] R. E. Nixon, “Matthew,” The New Bible Commentary Revised, pp. 822-824.
[xiv] Paul J. Achtemeier, Joel B. Green and Marianne Meye Thompson, pp. 101-102.
[xv] R. E. Nixon, “Matthew,” The New Bible Commentary Revised, pp. 824-825.
[xvi] D. A. Carson, p. 80.
[xvii] D. A. Carson, pp. 81-86.
[xviii] D. A. Carson, pp. 97-107.
[xix] D. A. Carson, pp. 107-111.
[xx] Ralph Earle, “Matthew 7:12,” The NIV Study Bible, p. 1452.
[xxi] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary - New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 65.
[xxii] D. A. Carson, pp. 123-135.
Part I
Part II
Part III
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