Matthew 5:1-12. More than Morality
The Sermon on the Mount has had a great influence on English language even if it now has little influence on English speaking people. It has given us such phrases as:
“Turn the other cheek”
“Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’”
“You are the salt of the earth”
“Do not judge”
“Love your neighbour”
“An eye for an eye”
“The sun rises on the just and on the unjust”
“Do to others what you would have them do to you”
The difficulty many have when reading this is sermon is to take it out of context and as a result its meaning is frequently misunderstood. It can simply become a textbook of morality. Ask most people what they think this sermon is about and most will say something like,
‘It is about being good’.
They think that Jesus came as a great teacher and here he is giving people a helpful code of conduct. Even churchmen can teach it is this way. One Headmaster who regarded this sermon in such a way said:
“Professional Integrity is something I pride myself on. I am an ethical, moralistic person. I work hard for our community, I strive hard for our learners. As a Headteacher, I do the right thing, I make the hard decisions, I stand up for what is right.”
In such schools the sermon could be taught as part of the curriculum of moral or social studies but its whole point would be missed. To teach this sermon as just a moral code is very dangerous. Notice how this passage starts:
“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.” Matthew 5:1-2
This sermon is for those who have become disciples of Jesus and teaches what will distinguish Christians from the crowds of other people. Jesus has separated the crowds from his disciples. He is sharing with them essentially two ideas:
The Blessings of those who belong to God
The Characteristics of those who belong to God
The first four chapters of Matthews gospel have taught that Jesus is God’s one and only Son and that those who belong to God are the followers of Jesus. This sermon is for those who claim to be followers of Christ and are going to have a rough time because of this. At the end of these beatitudes Jesus again puts himself in the centre:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Matthew 5:11
To miss this, to leave Jesus out, is to miss the whole point of the sermon. This sermon demonstrates how we can know who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’ of God’s kingdom.
Note the tenses Jesus uses in the first and last of the beatitudes:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
““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.” Matthew 5:11-12
He is talking about the features of those people who are already members of his kingdom. In contrast he blessings of the central six beatitudes will all be experienced in the future:
“. . . they will be comforted. . . . for they will inherit the earth. . . . for they will be filled with righteousness. . . . for they will be shown mercy. . . . for they will see God. . . . for they will be called children of God.”
When will God’s people be filled with righteousness, when will we be shown mercy, when will we see God face to face? These promises will only be fully fulfilled in the future. Jesus’ wants us, his people, to keep focusing on what is ours in eternity. We do see these blessings dimly now but then they will be abundantly clear and we will be fully satisfied. Paul used the phrase "we see things dimly as in a mirror" when writing to a church who were being taught to expect all of God’s blessings now:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12,
This verse also teaches that our current understanding of spiritual realities is incomplete and unclear, like looking at a blurred reflection, but in the future, we will see and know God and truth "face to face" with perfect clarity, just as we are fully known by Him now. What a disaster it is when churches advertise themselves by promoting and often exagerating blessings in this life. We have been chosen to live for Christ and sometimes that will lead to difficulties.
To be blessed by God does not mean that Christians will not face similar problems and illnesses as other people. Neither does it mean ‘Oh the bliss now’, that is a sentimental ‘gooey’ doctrine that is far from what the Bible teaches. To be ‘blessed’ is all to do with being favoured and approved by him - to be part of his kingdom. For such people there is no doubt or uncertainty, there’s is the Kingdom of Heaven.
How do I know if I am a member of God’s kingdom, am approved by God? It is because we are members of the group who have submitted to his rule and dominion. There is not doubt, God has promised that ‘There’s is the kingdom’.
The Nature of God
This sermon speaks of a rich and generous God who bestows favour on his people.
Some are uncertain about their relationship with god, sometimes they think they are alright and at other times they feel out of favour. They are uncertain. It is a bit like the relationship of Members of Parliament or the Cabinet with the Prime Minister. They try hard to stay in favour but some lapse or disagreement can change everything. In Alan Clarke’s book ‘Westminster’ he described how people are always unsure where they stand.
Most religions have a form of acceptance ceremony and then their members are expected to be devoted enough to be acceptable to God but however committed they are, they can never be certain. ‘Have I done enough?’, ‘Have I worked hard enough?’, ‘Have I given enough?’ Even in Christian circles people can think in such ways, presuming that God’s generosity is a transient thing, something that somehow can be earned by long service and good conduct.
The God of the beatitudes is completely different to this. It is he who has qualified us to be members of his Kingdom. Our judgment took place on Jesus’ cross. We are saved for eternity because of him. When we turn to him we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit who changes us and makes us want to live in a way that pleases God. The Sermon on the mount speaks of Blessings that God gives to his people. It is God himself who guarantees our future.
Who are the favoured ones?
The natural question is an important one,
“Who are the favoured people?”
In Jesus’ day there were many Pharisees who felt that they were acceptable to God because of their strict adherence to God’s law. They were single-minded in their devotion to keeping these laws yet it was largely outward. Jesus said about the Pharisees:
“Everything they do is done for people to see.” Matthew 23:5
Towards the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says to some religious people who did not have a personal relationship with himself:
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22-23
This sermon’s answer on what will qualify people for heaven is surprising to many. It teaches:
You must realise how bad you are.
You must be followers of Jesus
1. You must realise how bad you are
God’s blessings are only given to those who see how needy they are:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
To be ‘poor in spirit’ or ‘poor in heart’ is an inward and not an outward feature. It is God who knows our hearts, and what is in our hearts controls everything else we do. To be poor in spirit is to be honest with ourselves and to realise how inadequate we are compared to Jesus.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Being ‘broken hearted’ has nothing to do with personal bereavement or being sad because of our lot in life, it is all to do with being sad because of the state of ourselves and of God’s people
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
The meek are those who, like a stallion, have been broken in to do their master’s wishes. The same word is used in Greek for such horses. The world or earth they will inherit will be the new world.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Such people realise how unrighteous they are and they long to experience the fulness of God’s presence. In the gospel we are given the status of being made righteous but in heaven we will experience this to the full. No-one ‘hungers and thirst’ if they have already eaten and are satisfied. Elsewhere Jesus teaches that he is the ‘bread of life’ (John 6:35). In John 4:14 Jesus says that it is he who gives water that ‘springs up to eternal life’ and in John 7:37-38 he says ‘Come to Him and drink’. Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:1 describe Jesus as the ‘fountain of the water of life’ in the New Jerusalem, representing the life and salvation Jesus alone offers. The only way for this desire for righteousness can be met is through Jesus.
In essence Jesus is saying that the first qualification for being blessed is to realise had bad and weak we really are.
Jesus has taken these ideas from what is taught in the Old Testament - as he so often does. Isaiah 61:1-2 reads:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour. Isaiah 61:1-3
This was written about God’s people who were in exile, away from God. Isaiah was preaching the same message of the Sovereign Lord. Then those of God’s people who looked back to what the Lord had called them to be now realised how poor they were. They mourned just as all God people mourn about being captives to sin. Yet it is to such people that there is a message of hope from God. There is a crown ahead, yes it is in the future but the crown is definitely there for those who are waiting for him. There is a future where we will not be captives to sin.
Jesus is asking whether we all realise that, before a holy, pure and generous God we have no merit to earn his kindness. We are dependant on grace alone. Do I realise how God sees me and do I long for God to do something about this?
The phrase, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth’ is taken from Psalm 34. This psalm is all about how those who belong to God live grateful lives because they realise that everything have we have comes from God. David wrote this when he was in dire trouble but his hope remained in his Lord. This psalm also talks about who is blessed by God.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8
This is what Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount about the effect that taking refuge in and following him will have on his people. Jesus says:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8
Jesus went on to say:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9
In the Old Testament one of the marks of God’s people was the way they were peacemakers. the concept of peacemaking and being God's people is rooted in the Old Testament, with figures like Abraham & Lot (Genesis 13) (yielding land for peace), Moses & Aaron (interceding for Israel), David (2 Samuel 19) (showing mercy to enemies), and Nehemiah & Ezra (rebuilding and restoring covenant) embodying peacemaking by promoting harmony, resolving disputes, and fostering right relationships with God and others, reflecting the Hebrew Shalom (wholeness). Churchill once said:
“The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next elections, while the statesman thinks about the next generation”.
It could be added that Christians are peacemakers because we think about the next life.
Good News
This sermon is good news for those who recognise that all is not well between them and God and who long to change. We see the holiness and love of god and know how far short we fall. We long for mercy. At the end of chapter 4 we see thousands coming to Jesus to have their needs met.
In Judaism being imperfect disqualified people from going to God’s presence in the temple. Having leprosy, a symbol of sin, excluded people. Only perfect animals could be offered sacrifices. This was to stress that God is holy and nothing perfect is acceptable to him. Here however Jesus is welcoming the far from perfect. This is a picture of the gospel. In Christ the imperfect can be reckoned to be righteous and by the work of his Spirit a process of change begins.
So those who have messed up in the past, had a criminal record, had affairs, had anger problems, broken marriages, taken drugs, called ourselves atheists and behaved accordingly, or whatever, can rejoice because in Christ the past can be forgiven and forgotten. We start again. Paul wrote:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
So the first feature of those who can become God’s people is that we must recognise how bad we are!
There are also great benefits from living by faith in the love of God in this life. The ability to handle life's blows without blame or bitterness does helps people to be content. These are the conclusions of a study of 173 men who have been followed since they graduated from Harvard University in the early 1940s. The study noted that one potent predictor of well-being was the ability to handle emotional crisis maturely. Having a real faith contributes to this.
Bad news
This sermon as well as the rest of the Bible is really bad news for those who think they are quite good. The self-righteous won’t come to Jesus to be helped. They think they can cope off their own, they will try to muddle through. Some such people may be brought to their senses when problems such as bereavements, bad health or disappointments come along but this is surprisingly uncommon. People who have repeated said ‘No’ to God throughout their life find it hard to recognise their need for him later.
There was an obnoxious character in the television show, Eastenders called Dot Cotton. In one episode she sat in ‘the Albert’ pontificating about this that and the other as a religious prig. She clearly thought she was morally superior to everyone in the square. There seemed to be no mourning over her own condition. There was no longing for a change, just a long stream of self-righteous judgments passed on government ministers and anyone else she disapproved of. She spoke as a self-satisfied, morally superior person.
Jesus says that someone who thinks they are good, better than average, will not enter heaven. This is why Jesus made it clear that many religious people, such as the Pharisees, will be rejected on the day of judgment.
The first qualification for heaven is to see how bad we are!
2. We must be followers of Jesus
The Bible is clear that the only way to be pure in heart, to be righteous is to be given this status and power to live a new life by Christ himself. Without Christ no-one is pure in heart and only those who are in Christ will see God. There are many church people who have rejected what the apostles teach about this even though Jesus and the apostles are clear:
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” John 3:36
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:6-9
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
This is what Jesus is teaching in this sermon. Those who are followers of Jesus both will be blessed and are blessed by God even though there may be problems now because we follow him. The ninth beatitude reminds us of this:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Matthew 5:11
Our eternal security and peace in this life are given to us because we belong to Christ.
This ties in with the prophecy in Isaiah 61 which describes what Jesus came to do. Jesus himself applied this passage to himself when it read it in the Nazareth synagogue. They were furious with him because they understood what he was saying about himself:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” Isaiah 61:1
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God.” Isaiah 61:1-2
Jesus is the way to receive the Lord’s favour but those who reject him will face God’s anger or vengeance. Any who refuse to turn to Jesus almost certainly do this because we are not ‘poor in spirit’, they think they will cope without Christ, they have forgotten God. In a similar way such people do not ‘mourn’ over their own sin, they are not hungering and thirsting for a relationship with God that Jesus can give.
This is why it is so dangerous to teach this sermon as if it is advocating a good moral code for society, those who, like the Pharisees think they are OK will find out soon enough that they are not OK in God’s eyes. Their eyes are focused on the wrong person.
There can be no better news to share with people. This is what people need to hear. Anyone can be forgiven and become a member of God’s kingdom by turning to follow Christ.
Teaching morality will not bring people to god and it does not have the power to change people into being godly. A headmaster wrote the following in his autobiography,
“I was happy in conversation with boys always to tell them what ideal behaviour was and where selfishness, cruelty and exploitation lay, but unwilling to talk of the very centre of Christianity, the meaning of the cross, because I found it at times repugnant and in part beyond belief. With this semi religion I was able to live with some contentment, but I knew well that it was ‘non-infectious’. That if what I believed was all Christianity amounted to, it would attract few. I knew that our Lord did not walk about Palestine beginning a world revolution, by saying,
“Come along everyone, be nice to everybody, be truthful, be honest. No, he spoke of repentance, of salvation from sin, of conversion.”
How right this headmaster is. People need to know that our root problem is our natural rebellion against God and that the solution lies with Jesus Christ. This is what the Sermon on the Mount is teaching.
BVP
