Matthew 5-7
Sermon on the Mount

It opens, like Psalm 1 does, with a description of the blessedness of the person who walks in God's law; their ways are blameless. This is not some unattainable ideal to be discarded by those who wish to remain worms all their spiritual lives, but something to be sought after wholeheartedly. Seeking God exclusively, with all of one's heart and soul is commanded throughout the Scripture, and exemplified by the successful kings. Just in case there's any misunderstanding, verse 3 hammers the point home.

Wholehearted obedience is commanded (what about full obedience don't you understand?). The impact of this requirement causes the psalmist (possibly a young David or Ezra) to seek God's help in obeying, so he won't be disappointed as he evaluates his progress or lack thereof in following God.

The psalmist expresses hope that his steps of obedience will lead him to the position of experiential uprightness, so his praise and thanks will be more pleasing to God. He resolves to observe God's statutes, and prays that God won't utterly forsake him, because he knows he is not blameless (as the blessed believer of verse 1 is).

Meddling in quarrels that are none of your business is a sure way to get bitten. So avoid disputes, unless for the cause of righteousness and justice (and then, prayerfully), because you can get bitten by those you seek to help as well. Practical jokes and sarcasm didn't go over well, if people get hurt (emotionally or physically). (“It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and then it's...”). Humor needs to pass the filters of what builds up (edification), what is in the hearer's best interest (love), and what glorifies God. You can find a number of outlines about Biblical Speech on Truthbase.net.

The Beatitudes serve as motivation to be blessed in the coming kingdom that Jesus announced. There's nothing in the Sermon on the Mount about Jesus dying for our sins so we could be forgiven. There is likely a progression within the Beatitudes, and some think they serve as a “table of contents” for the rest of the sermon. Have fun seeing the inter-relationships and how they match up. We'll just take them in appropriate groupings and try to understand what Jesus expected His audience to do in response. The nine “Blesseds” divide into three groups of three, and correspond to three sections at the end of the sermon.

The poor/humble in spirit are those who walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). They don' assert their will/spirit, but do God's will. Thus they will possess (have an inheritance in) the kingdom that comes from the heavens (see last post). It is not heaven, but the future Millennial kingdom promised in the OT, over which Jesus the Messiah will reign on David's throne. The central point of the chiastic structure is “thy kingdom come” (followed by: “thy will be done”) so this is an appropriate start. Walking humbly with God means you do what's right in His sight, not what you may desire. Of course as you grow in sanctification, you desire what is right in His sight.

Doing God's will, swimming upstream, results in opposition, causing mourning which God will turn to rejoicing.

Gentle/meek is not spineless, but in the Greek refers to a horse that has been tamed/broken so it can serve its owner as a strong worker. Serving God is how OT and NT saints gain their inheritance (see Survey of Rewards on Truthbase.net).

Righteousness (being rightly related to God and man) was a major responsibility of God's people (cf Isaiah 1; Wisdom and Prophetic Books). Dabbling in it, doesn't make you righteous, but hungering and thirsting for it does. Desire is determinative.

Mercy is the way the LXX usually translated hesed/loyal covenantal love (occasionally “love” was used, and you can see the overlap). One usually shows mercy to those with whom one has a non-hostile relationship. The loyalty aspects of hesed (a major emphasis in the NT) tend to get lost in the English “mercy,” but if you dig, you'll find it.

The pure in heart, who make their decisions according to God's desires, have intimacy with God (John 14:21), and are the ones who dwell in His presence (see Ezekiel 44 post on the exclusion of the priests from God's immediate presence).

Peacemakers, seek to create harmony between people and God, and then, between people. That's just what God seeks to do. The closer folks are to God, the closer they'll be to each other. Committing to truth is not compromise, but does yield peace.

The righteous have always been persecuted by the wicked hypocrites (see Psalms), but those who endure wind up being blessed in the kingdom (cf 5:3).

Some Bible students combine this with the previous verse, but Jesus prefaced it with a “Blessed” and is emphasizing that He's talking about reward in the kingdom that comes from the heavens. It's not about forgiveness, but about recompense for service. Don't misunderstand that. The prophets are a prime example (whom we consider blessed - James 5:10-11).

The salt and light imagery underscore the role Israel was to have in bringing light to the nations. These verses have two incredibly important concepts. We'll do the easier one first, "light" and glorifying God, in verse 16. Glorifying God is making Him look good in the eyes of others by obeying Him (doing the good works He created us to do (Ephesians 2:10). The words of God give light, we embrace the light of truth, and manifest it in our works. Others see the results and are drawn to God. See “How to Glorify God” (by aligning all your actions with God's purpose for you) in TOYL on Truthbase.net. Since Matthew only used the concept of light in 4:16 to refer to the promised revelation of God in Jesus, Jesus' audience would have had to go to the OT to understand how they were the light of the world. Psalm 119:105 & 130 show that God's revelation (word) give His perspective on the world (truth) so we can walk according to it (and reflect it - give light - to others). The purpose of the light is to benefit others and God (as well as ourselves). See next comments on Matthew 6:22 for more on this.

The slightly more difficult concept is that the essential characteristic of salt is saltiness (flavor not preservation). If salt loses its essential characteristic, it's worthless. Conversely, if it retains saltiness, it has value. You've just read the fundamental truth about worth and value (for disciples/followers of Jesus, the original and modern audience). One more sentence should make the light shine if you're still under the bushel. The essential characteristic of a disciple is the desire to deny oneself (mind/will/emotions/life) to follow Christ; lose that, and you're worthless in God's sight; keep it, and God will value you with the words “Well done! Good and faithful servant.” This is a little clearer in a passage like Luke 9, but reflect back on Matthew 4 to understand what the initial disciples had to go through to leave the fishing business to follow Christ and fish for men. This is another topic we'll revisit.

I could write a book, rather than just a blog post on these chapters, so we're going to have to pick up the pace. This is the summary statement of what follows, which is an elaboration of the righteousness that fulfills and supersedes the law, roughly paralleling the last five of the Ten Commandments (the social righteousness and justice ones). Note that there is a class system in the Kingdom of heaven, and that entering the kingdom doesn't mean just stepping over the threshold, any more than Israel entering the Promised Land meant getting past immigration. To enter is to take possession (like Christ entering His glory, or the demons entering the swine). It means to have a reward. See the Survey of Rewards on Truthbase.net for chapter and verse.

Jesus as King and lawgiver sets the standard that goes beyond mere ritual. A Holy Spirit empowered believer is expected to obey their Lord, not wallow in their unworthiness. They who say the whole point of the Sermon is to show you couldn't do it, are doing the devil's will. God wants people to have righteous relationships, which is more important than ritual. Resolve the difficulties where possible or your worship is not worthy. Gehenna is the garbage dump outside the city where unprofitable works are burned up (1 Corinthians 3:10-16) which would mean loss of reward.

Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself (Daniel 1:8). Job made a covenant with his eyes that he wouldn't look lustfully upon a maiden (Job 31:1). Joseph put on his track shoes and fled Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39), and NT believers are instructed to do the same (2Tim 2:22). Note that Jesus talked in terms of profitable/unprofitable, (reward, not forgiveness). You don't want your spirituality be defined by your sexuality, but learning to control one's passions for a higher objective is the essence of godly living (see “sound-mindedness in Titus), and Greek “virtue.” This is another topic we'll revisit, as well as the divorce issue (in Matthew 19). For now, note that fornication is sex between unmarried people and what Joseph thought Mary had been up to in the betrothal period.

Mean what you say, and say what you mean. No lying nor deceiving.

Some people maintain the impossibility of applying the Sermon on the Mount on the basis of verse 42, but like all Scripture, there is a context. The OT required the Israelites to look out for each other in their communities (Dt 15:7-11), not everyone half-way around the world. There were also rules for working and gleaning (Ruth) that prevented institutional poverty. God blessed people so they could bless others is a theme we often saw in the OT. In a small community of God-fearers, this passage could easily be applied. In both a village and a huge city, one needs to ask, what does God want me to do with His stuff, that's He's entrusted to me as a stewardship?” Does the law of love (doing what is in another's best interest) supersede the “Brother can you spare a dime for some wine?” request? The go the second mile probably referred to the requirement to carry the pack of a Roman soldier more than the requisite mile.

This section could be grouped with previous one. Love is doing what is in someone's best interest, which could be refusing their request for what is not good for them (“No, you cannot have double dessert instead of dinner.”), and resisting evil for the common good. Refraining from vengeance is good, as is doing good to your pointy-haired boss, criminal co-workers, weird neighbors, and insane family neighbors. God does good to the good and evil; emulate Him if you want to be rewarded in the kingdom. Reflecting the perfection of God is not a suggestion, it is a command.

Are you still doubting that the Sermon on the Mount is about being rewarded in the promised kingdom, oh ye of little observational skills?

The Lord's Prayer is bracketed (chiastic structure) on the outside by religious acts of alms giving for reward, and fasting for reward. The inner brackets are prerequisites to praying for reward, cognitive requests (rather than vain repletion in which you need beads to keep track of what you've said), and clean relationships with others.

Jesus says don't do things (like alms giving) to get recognition and glory from men (components of the reward God gives faithful believers -1Pt 1), otherwise you'll miss out (as in lose) reward from your Heavenly Father.

The same applies to praying. Do it in secret, and God will reward you openly (a result of righteous prayer). Don't repetitively babble the same words, God's hearing is perfect, and He heard you the first time. Actually, He knew what you needed before you asked. You just need to ask because it's commanded, and to remind yourself that you asked Him, so you can praise Him when He answers (if you've been following the Psalms, you know this). Later we'll see that a good model is ask three times to make sure you know that God knows. If you're anxious, ask some more. If you need to express dependence, ask again. Your time might be better spent listening to God to know Him and His will, than badgering Him into doing your will (won't work).

You should be able to find an exposition of the Lord's prayer on Truthbase.net, and a skeleton understanding under the topic of Prayer in the 7 Passages. The center of the first triad is “may Your kingdom come” which is the topic thus far in Jesus' ministry. This request is bracketed by a request for God's name/reputation to be seen as holy, separate or distinct from all other gods (synonymous with glory 5:17), and a wish for God's will to be done on earth (yeah! justice finally) as it is in heaven. The request for the kingdom indicates a willingness to be a faithful subject in it, doing God's will.

The second triad, centers on righteous relationships with others, bracketed by the dependent request for daily bread (as in today, not next week's -see Manna), and the request for living the victorious Christian life (as in victory over Satan's lies, temptations, and attacks). We'll revisit all these topics.

Note the repetition and elaboration of repairing ruptured relationships (cf 5:24). The forgiveness in view is not freedom from eternal death penalty which Christ paid, but the forgiveness necessary for fellowship with God when we've disrupted the relationship with our sin (see 1Jn 1:3-10). Note also that fasting is a reward motivated activity.

Jesus now addresses the tenth commandment, not to covet, ending with a summary statement in 7:12 about the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. This corresponds to Jesus' statement about fulfilling the Law and Prophets 5:17-20 followed by a consideration of the other commandments in 5:21-48 (see this post's introduction on chiastic structure).

We are commanded to lay up treasure (rewards -for ourselves!!!) in heaven, not on earth, to keep our heart motivated to do the right, eternal things. People who insist they are not motivated by reward should study Some Rewarding Verses for Contemplation on Truthbase.net, if they want to be pleasing to God. If you don't see the truth accurately (eye is not sound) you will remain in darkness, doing the devil's will and not God's. If you see the light, you will walk in the light. That's why it's so important to study the Scripture as God wrote it. Our eye is a lens that colors all that we see (perspective). If our eye/perspective is good/clear (formed by the truth - Ps 119:105,130 - see comments on Mt 5:16 above) then you will see truly from God's perspective, value what He says is valuable, and be able to reflect that light to others as you obey it (they see it radiating from your life and actions). If you have only a worldly perspective (look at things from the devil's point of view), you will not give light to others, but be stumbling around in the dark with them. What has shaped your view of the world, and life in it? Your study and embracing of God's word, or tainted tradition, experience or anything other than God's light? Maybe burning some midnight oil to study God's word would be more profitable than turning on the TV to get spiritual cataracts.

Who are you serving? The god of money or the God of heaven and earth? Where do you put your time and hopes and aspirations, in something temporal or eternal? Either He is your source of security, significance and success, or your job or bank/brokerage account is. Jesus said it's one or the other, not both. If you're anxious about the material things in life, you're not serving God. That's what Jesus says in the next verses.

Anxiety robs you of today's joy with tomorrow's problems, and both dishonors and disobeys God. Everyone has faith, of varying amounts (if you want more see the series on Faith and Romans 10), and the faith is placed in varying objects. Those who don't know God (Gentiles) are consumed with consuming temporal stuff. Those who seek God, aren't because they know that He has promised to protect and prosper them (blessing). So seek first God's kingdom, which in this context can only be your reward in the kingdom, gained by righteous behavior, doing God's will. Then God is free to bless you with all that He's promised to those who obey Him. Like daily bread, God dispenses grace (power and desire to do His will – see sermon and study guide on Truthbase.net) one day at a time. He doesn't give you grace on Monday to handle Friday's problems.

Spiritual people judge all things (1Cor 2:15) and elders and disciple-makers need to make judgments to do their job. But until you're sure you know what you're doing, and are ready to be held to the same standard to which you wish to hold others, it's a good idea to leave the judging to the pros (which you should be becoming). Jesus says to first get your act together, and then you can see clearly to help someone else. If you're not in a position (by virtue of your virtue and holiness) to help remove the speck from someone's eye, why aren't you? Why are you holding on to that beam? Everyone else can see it, why can't you? Oh, wait, there's a beam blocking your vision, which is why you can't see to help others. How long will it be before you deal with it? It's hindering your ministry to others. Speaking of which, some folks are not receptive to truth. Jesus called them dogs or pigs. If people aren't receptive to a few crumbs, don't give them the full course meal. It's a waste of time, they will be held liable for rejecting more truth, and you might get hurt in the process. Spend time discerning God's will, and reading the label, before applying any spot remover.

Some more good teaching on prayer, which is rooted in the goodness of God. He won't give what's not good, and no good thing will He withhold from them who walk uprightly (Ps 84:11 see post). But you have to ask, so you can praise Him for answering your prayer. Sometimes you have to seek, which can be beneficial in developing your skills. If it was good to just give it, God would have given in response to your first request. Then there's the third category of knocking. One knocks on closed doors. God's will is not determined by circumstances (see sermon on God's Will and the TOYL Will of God funnel on Truthbase.net). God's will is almost never determined by open doors. The devil works part time as a doorman, and opens all kinds of doors to get immature or sinning believers to walk deeper into the darkness, until they go through the trapdoor to tragedy.

This is frequently called the golden rule (which is not “he who has the gold makes the rule” as true as that might be). Treat others as you would want to be treated. If you know the person well, treat them as they would want to be treated, which might be different from how you would treat yourself. (This can cause problems in marriage.) Jesus says this sums up the Law and the Prophets. The apostle Paul said “love your neighbor as yourself” did a pretty good job of summarizing the law (Gal 5:14), as did some of the people Jesus chatted with while on earth. However you phrase it, it's a good idea to interact with others in love, so that you do fulfill the requirements of righteousness and reward that God revealed in the Scriptures.

The subject in the Sermon on the Mount has been getting rewarded and blessed in the coming kingdom, by doing God's will, just like He wanted to bless the nation of Israel in the Promised Land. Entering is equated with an empowered possession. Here Jesus says, it isn't going to be easy, just like fighting giants and driving out the pagans wasn't easy. The low, broad, easy way leads to destruction. The path to live (blessing and dominion, see Deuteronomy 30 post on life and death) is narrow and difficult, and only a few find it. Again, this is not about getting your sins forgiven and escaping the lake of fire (which is a function of trusting that the Father graciously accepts Christ's death as payment for your sins), but about reward in the kingdom. By the way, you probably didn't notice any mention of Jesus dying on the cross for your sins, because He didn't yet. Remember He came to save us from our sins, and justification is just one aspect, not yet talked about – see previous post).

However, there are lots of false prophets, pretending to be sheep, but they are really wolves, teaching things that lead to destruction rather than life (just like in the OT). You can spot them by the fruit of their lives and ministry. Are they producing vigorous, reproductive, disease free fruit, that gives life to others? Or rotten, wormy, disease ridden, sterile fruit? The issue is quality, not quantity.

False teachers are energized by Satan to lead people astray, just like the false religions and leaders of the OT. False teachers can do miracles and other things that attract followers and crowds. Jesus will warn about them later in His ministry, as will Paul; don't be deceived by them. Jesus will say to those who call Him Lord but don't do what He says, “Who are you? I never knew you; take a hike down the broad way.” Those who aren't faithful to do His will, will not participate in the rewards of the kingdom. To “know” is to have an intimate relationship with someone, knowing what they like and dislike, doing the former and refraining from the latter.

Luke 6:46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?

The issue in the Sermon on the Mount is reward in the Kingdom for doing God's will (read 7:21 again ye of little observational skills and great preconceptions). Entrance and possession (see previous section) is preconditioned upon doing God's will (what about “do” do you not understand?). Those who don't do, are compared to those who build their house on the shifting sands of untruth. Their houses will fall, and greatly. Those who hear and do, will be blessed, compared to those building their house on a rock, which will endure all the storms Satan can unleash against it, because it is founded on the rock solid revelation of God.

Notice there is no call to justification by faith, but instead a call to sanctification and glorification via obedience. The people were amazed. Today they'd be dozing, because the sermon was a little long and dry.