Even non-Christians have heard of the Sermon on the Mount. Christians have heard sermons on it, but still find parts of it hard to understand and apply.
John Stott puts it this way: "The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed" (The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, InterVarsity Press, 1978, p. 15).
Let's study it again. Perhaps we will find new treasures as well as old.
"Now when [Jesus] saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them" (Matt. 5:1-2). The sermon was not designed for the disciples only. Jesus told them to spread his teachings throughout the world.
First come the beatitudes (the word beatitude comes from the Latin word for blessed):
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (v. 3). What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? Low self-esteem, low interest in spiritual things? No. Many religious Jews called themselves "the poor," for they often were poor, and the poor had to look to God to supply their daily needs. So Jesus may have been referring to the faithful.
But "poor in spirit" suggests something more. Poor people know they have needs. The poor in spirit know they need God. They do not imagine that they are doing God any favors by serving him. It is the humble, the dependent, who will be given the kingdom of heaven. They trust themselves to God's mercy.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (v. 4). This includes an irony, since the word for "blessed" can also mean "happy." Happy are the sad, Jesus says, for at least they have the comfort of knowing that their trials are temporary. Everything will be set right.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (v. 5). In ancient society, land was often taken away from the meek. That will also be set right when the kingdom of God rules earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (v. 6). Those who yearn for justice (the Greek word for righteousness also means justice), will receive what they seek. Those who suffer from evil, who feel the need for right behavior, will be rewarded. Jesus assures us that our hopes will not be thwarted.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (v. 7). We know our need for mercy in the day of judgment; Jesus is saying that we therefore have a duty to show mercy in this age. It is inconsistent for anyone to want mercy and yet be unmerciful.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (v. 8). A pure heart has only one desire. Those who seek only God will be sure to find him.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" (v. 9). The poor will not achieve their rights through violence. We should show mercy and humility, not anger and strife. We cannot live in harmony with a kingdom of righteousness by acting unrighteously. Since we want the peace of God's kingdom, we should seek peace in this life, too.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (v. 10). Righteous people sometimes suffer because they are righteous. People resent Christians, because a good example makes the bad look worse. And sometimes the righteous, by helping the oppressed, weaken the system that has given power to the wicked. But be of good cheer, Jesus says. Hang in there. You will be rewarded.
Jesus then addresses his disciples more directly, using the second-person "you": "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (vs. 11-12).
"Because of me" is an important phrase. Jesus' disciples will be persecuted not just for being good, but because of their association with Jesus. When you are persecuted, rejoice and be glad--at least you are doing enough to be noticed. You are making a difference in this world, and you will be sure to be rewarded in the next.
Jesus also gave some parable-like sayings about the way that his followers should affect the world: "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 by men" (v. 13).
Salt is good because it tastes different than other things. In the same way, Jesus' disciples are scattered in the world--but if they are just like the world, they are not doing any good.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 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" (vs. 14-15). The disciples are not to hide themselves. Their example is part of their message.
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (v. 16).
How should the disciples live? Jesus will get to that in verses 21-48. But he begins with a caution: When you hear what I say, you might wonder if I am trying to eliminate the Scriptures. I'm not. I am doing and teaching exactly what the Scriptures say I should. What I say will be surprising, but don't get me wrong.
"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" (v. 17). Many people focus here on the Law, and assume that the question is whether Jesus will do away with Old Testament laws. This makes the verse difficult to interpret, since everyone agrees that Jesus Christ caused some laws to become obsolete.
Jesus is not talking about laws (plural). He is talking about the Law (singular)--the Torah, the first five books of the Scriptures. He is also talking about the Prophets, another section of the Bible. This is not about individual laws, but about the Scriptures as a whole. Jesus did not come to do away with the Scriptures, but to fulfill them.
This involved obedience, of course, but it went further. God wants his children to do more than follow rules. When Jesus fulfilled the Torah, it was not just a matter of obedience--he completed all that the Torah had ever pointed to. He did what Israel as a nation was not able to do.
Jesus then said, "I tell you the truth, 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" (v. 18).
But Christians don't have to circumcise their children, build booths out of tree branches and wear blue threads in tassels. Everyone agrees that we don't have to keep these laws. So what did Jesus mean when he said that none of the Law would disappear? For practical purposes, haven't those laws disappeared?
There are three basic approaches to this. First, we can recognize that these laws have not disappeared. They are still in the Torah--but being in Torah doesn't mean that we have to do them. This is true, but it does not seem to be what Jesus intended here.
A second approach is to say that Christians do keep these laws, but that we do so by having faith in Christ. We keep the law of circumcision in our hearts (Rom. 1:29) and we keep all ritual laws through faith. This is true, but it also does not seem to be what Jesus was saying here. His original audience could not have understood this.
A third approach is to observe that 1) none of the Law could become obsolete until everything was accomplished, and 2) some of the Law has become obsolete. So we conclude 3) that everything was accomplished. Jesus fulfilled his mission, and the old covenant law is now obsolete.
However, why would Jesus say "until heaven and earth disappear"? Was it simply to emphasize the certainty of what he was saying? Why mention two "untils" if only one of them was relevant? I don't know.
But I do know that there are many Old Testament laws that Christians do not have to keep, and verses 17-20 do not tell us which laws are which. If we quote these verses only for the laws we happen to like, we are misusing these verses. They do not teach the permanent validity of all laws, because not all laws are permanent.
Jesus then goes on to say, "Anyone who breaks 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 practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (v. 19).
What are "these" commandments? Is Jesus referring to commandments in the Law of Moses, or to his own commands, which he will soon give? We must take into account the fact that verse 19 begins with the word therefore (which the NIV does not translate).
There is a logical connection between verses 18 and 19. Is it, The Law will remain, so these commandments should be taught? That would imply that Jesus was talking about the Law. But many commandments in the Torah are obsolete, and should not be taught as law. So Jesus cannot be saying that we should teach all laws of the Old Testament. That would contradict the rest of the New Testament.
More likely, the logical connection between verses 18 and 19 is different, focusing more on "until all is accomplished," the closest phrase. The thought would be like this: All the Law will remain until everything is accomplished, and therefore (since Jesus did accomplish everything), we are to teach these laws of Jesus (which we will soon read) instead of the old laws that he critiques. This makes better sense in the context of the sermon, and New Testament.
It is Jesus' commandments that should be taught (Matt. 7:24; 28:20). Jesus explains why: "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" (v. 20).
The Pharisees were known for detailed obedience, tithing even on their herbs. But true righteousness is a matter of the heart, of a person's character, not just conforming to certain rules. Jesus is not saying that we need better obedience to the same laws, but rather obedience to better laws, and he will soon illustrate what he means. But we are not as righteous as we should be. We all need mercy, and we enter the kingdom not through our own righteousness, but in another way, as Jesus explained in verses 3-10.
We will examine the rest of chapter 5 next month, or you may read it in advance at www.wcg.org/lit/bible/gospels/matt5.htm
Michael Morrison
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2000