Did Jesus Really Say That? Teachings of Jesus [Part 6]

Introduction

There are two more instances where Jesus gets in trouble for breaking the rules of the Sabbath. Last week we read the first of these in John 5:1-47. As we continue to survey the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, we see a few more instances:

Plucking the ears of corn on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28; Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 6:1-5)

Healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6; Matthew 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11)

The Personality of Jesus

Next, we discover a very interesting note about Jesus’ ministry and personality. Isaiah spoke of this more than any other prophet. He spoke of how the Messiah’s ministry would be of lowly and humble estate (Matthew 12:15-21, c.f. Isaiah 42:1-4). Isaiah’s reference is enigmatic until you understand the language of the times. Leon Morris writes,

The Gospel according to Matthew 5. Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy, 12:15–21

19. Those who lead the nations are mostly forceful characters, insistent on getting their own way. They tend to quarrel with anyone who hinders them, so sure are they that what they are seeking to accomplish is the right thing for the people they lead. The prophecy points out that God’s servant is not set in this mold. He will not quarrel means that his mission is one of peace. It does not, of course, mean that he will not strongly oppose those who do evil. But it affirms in strong terms that he will not try to impose his will on everybody regardless of their desires. JB’s “He will not brawl” and GNB’s “He will not argue” represent different ways of bringing out the servant’s quiet approach. Nor will he shout carries on with the same idea. He will do his work quietly, making no loud claims to underline his importance. So, too, his voice will not be raised in the streets (GNB, “will not … make loud speeches in the streets”). So far from fanfares and the like, there will not even be a voice in the streets. The Lord’s work will be done without noise and publicity.

20. And it will be done in gentleness. A reed might be used as a flute, a measuring rod, a pen, and in many other ways. But for whatever purpose it was wanted, a whole reed was desirable. Reeds grew plentifully and were cheap. “The reed, growing by millions in every marsh and riverside, was a type of commonplace insignificance” (Glover). The natural thing was to discard an imperfect reed and replace it with a better one. But the Lord’s servant does not discard those who can be likened to shattered reeds, earth’s “broken” ones. A perfect reed is at best fragile, so the imagery emphasizes weakness and helplessness. The same truth is brought out with the reference to a smoking wick.52 A wick that functioned imperfectly was a nuisance: it would not give out good light and its smoldering released a certain amount of smoke. The simple thing was to snuff it out and throw it away. A little bit of flax did not cost much, so replacing it was the normal procedure. It took time and patience and the willingness to take pains to make anything useful out of a bruised reed or a smoking wick. People in general would not take the trouble. In a similar fashion most of us regard the world’s down-and-outs as not worth troubling ourselves over; we do not see how anything can be made of them. But love and care and patience can do wonders, and that is what the prophet is talking about. God’s servant will persevere to the end. He will persist until he brings out54 justice into victory. The prophet cannot acquiesce in the thought that evil will finally have the victory. For him it is clear that in the end the servant will bring about the triumph of justice.

The care and passion of Jesus’ ministry; the great gentleness by which His ministry was conducted is admirable. Furthermore, it teaches how we should approach our ministerial responsibilities and endeavors.

After Jesus has frustrated the religious climate of His day, He moves on to selecting those that were first appointed as followers and disciples to become apostles.

The Selection of the Apostles

The selection of the apostles is told in Mark 3:13-19 and Luke 6:12-16. One must question the motive of Jesus behind selecting such individuals. The Sermon on the Mount seems to carry a different significance when considered among the selection of the apostles.

An apostle is an envoy of Jesus Christ commissioned directly by Him or by other apostles; normally someone who has been taught directly by Jesus and who is invested with the authority to speak on His behalf.

So, we can conclude that Jesus was selecting those who would be instrumental in carrying the things taught. This selection began early and lasted throughout the time of His earthly ministry. So, apostles are not creators of their own message. Rather, they are carriers of the message taught by Jesus Christ.

The goal of the church must always be equipping and commissioning. When we make it our business to equip those we plan to send out, we are walking in the model of Jesus Christ best.

The Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount takes place in Capernaum (Matthew 5:1-2; Luke 6:17-19). According to France,

The mountain is not a specific place, but a general term, as we might say ‘into the hills’ (cf. 14:23; 15:29; 28:16, none of which specifies the exact place; contrast 4:8; 17:1, where ‘a high mountain’ indicates a specific, though unidentified, peak). It indicates the steeply rising ground to the west of the lake of Galilee. Such ‘retreats’ to the quiet of the hills, for prayer and teaching, are a regular feature of Jesus’ ministry. (France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 1, p. 112). InterVarsity Press.)

The mountain was very likely “the high ground behind Capernaum as distinguished from the low land near the shore” (Sloman, A., Westcott, B. F., & Hort, F. J. A. (1912). The gospel according to St Matthew: being the Greek text (Rev. and repr. with additional notes., p. 85). Macmillan.)

If you could just picture this scene, it helps us identify what “going to church” with Jesus might have been like. Here, Jesus holds Bible study outside on a hill or in a mountain. It would have been a common place to gather, but not for all. I am fascinated by the unorthodox mannerisms of the New Testament leaders. They were innovative and different.

Now, what do we make of the actual sermon Jesus preached?

The Beatitudes

BEATITUDES The group of “blessed are” statements that open the Sermon on the Mount in Matt 5:3–12. The term also refers to the four “blessed are” statements that open the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:20–23. The word “beatitude” originates from the Latin word beatitudo (Betz, The Sermon on the Mount, 92). They are also called “macarisms,” a label that corresponds to the Greek word usually translated “blessed” (μακάριος, makarios) that begins each of the beatitudes.

Form and Source

The form of the statements in the Beatitudes has parallels in ancient Egyptian literature, Hellenistic literature, the Old Testament, and was used by rabbis (Betz, The Sermon on the Mount, 92; Hagner, Matthew, 88).

Since the Beatitudes come from an Egyptian background, we can identify the concept in the Hebrew writings: Job 5:17, Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 3:13.

Leon Morris makes a profound statement concerning the teaching of Jesus here,

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 2. The Beatitudes (6:20–23)

Together with the following woes these beatitudes make a mockery of the world’s values. They exalt what the world despises and reject what the world admires.

Matthew 5:3-12 uses the word “blessed”, which means happy or fortunate on the basis of circumstances. It denotes the transcendent happiness of a life beyond care, labour and death (Hauck, F., & Bertram, G. (1964–). μακάριος, μακαρίζω, μακαρισμός. In G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 4, p. 362). Eerdmans.)

The following blessings are afforded to those who are

Poor: Those having little money or possessing little. (This could be referring to those that are lacking in their souls or spirit, due to their literal poverty. One’s emotions and disposition struggles when they are impoverished.) Poverty is often associated with piety, thus, the “in spirit...” Consequently, they get the kingdom of God. Furthermore, they get the kingdom of God now, not in the future.

The kingdom of heaven is not the kingdom you get when you go to heaven, but the rule of God over creation as King. So, for the rule of God to be possessed by those that are poor means they possess the very authority of God and all the rights pertaining to it.

Mourn: Those who are sad and feel sorrow and grief. Those who mourn will be comforted. That is become consoled for sorrow and or distress.

Notice, the comfort is said to come in the future. Whereas, the kingdom is already given to those who are poor.

Humble: Those that are characterized by being humble, gentle, and mild. These individuals will inherit the earth.

The interesting thing about this promise is that the inheritance is seen as coming after death. Inheritance means gaining possession of something by legal right from someone as an heir after their death. Therefore, someone has to die in order for the humble to inherit the earth.

The question would be, in what sense did those humble ones on the mountain inherit the earth if their inheritance was dependent on the death of another, i.e. Jesus.

Hungry and Thirsty: The Greek is so profound here. It shows that one is hungry and thirsty. Yet, we have read this too fast. The Greek term for hungry and thirst are the same. However, there’s two separate actions going on here. There is a literal hunger, which is to desire, conceived of as feeling the physiological needs. Yet, there’s the other hunger [or thirst] which is designated towards righteousness. So then, there are those who are literally desire in a natural way, but have a parallel desire for righteousness. The interesting thing is the fact that one individual can have a desire for the two things, without allowing the natural to supersede the spiritual. For the person that can do so, they will receive a filling or satisfaction from food until they are filled.

Merciful: a person who shows leniency, compassion, or forgiveness; especially towards someone who as offended them. The merciful will receive mercy.

Pure in heart: A person who is in a state of ritual cleanliness or free of guilt and sin. The “in heart” portion designates the purity. Which shows that the sort of purity that gains reward is the kind that is found within. These will see God, which is to say they will, by visual perception they will see God. This speaks to one’s ability to see the power and true existence of God.

Peacemakers: a mediator who tries to bring about harmonious relationships (between two opposing parties.) They are called the sons of God. The reference to the calling of the sons of God, identifies one’s ability to be designated the name of God. By such a designation, the peacemakers are identified with God—wearing His name.

Persecuted: Those subject to systematic harassment and attack due to one’s religious belief. The key word here is systematic. This speaks to the dominating powers of the time that prohibited the sort of religious life that was prescribed by God. It does not come as a personal attack, but as a systematic one! The condition is to suffer for righteousness. The persecuted will receive the same reward as the poor in spirit—the kingdom of God.

The interesting thing is Matthew 5:11-12, which seems to indicate that one’s reward will be gained in heaven. “…Great is your reward in heaven.”

Be glad and rejoice are rendered in the imperative form. These are not a suggestion. Rather, they are are commands that should build an expected end.

Conclusion: Matthew 5:13-16

Following Jesus will require tremendous sacrifices. It also grants significant reward. These followers, the castaways will be the light and salt of the world.

13. Salt serves mainly to give flavour, and to prevent corruption. Disciples, if they are true to their calling, make the earth a purer and a more palatable place. But they can do so only as long as they preserve their distinctive character: unsalty salt has no more value. Strictly, pure salt cannot lose its salinity; but the impure ‘salt’ dug from the shores of the Dead Sea could gradually become unsalty as the actual sodium chloride dissolved. In any case, Jesus was not teaching chemistry, but using a proverbial image (it recurs in Bekhoroth 8b). The Rabbis commonly used salt as an image for wisdom (cf. Col. 4:6), which may explain why the Greek word represented by lost its taste actually means ‘become foolish’. (Aramaic tāpēl, which conveys both meanings, was no doubt the word used by Jesus.) A foolish disciple has no influence on the world.

14–16. Light, like salt, affects its environment by being distinctive. The disciple who is visibly different from other men will have an effect on them. But the aim of his good works is not to parade his own virtue, but to direct attention to the God who inspired them. By so doing the disciple will give light to all (cf. Phil. 2:15). Jesus is pre-eminently the light of the world (John 8:12), as Isaiah had prophesied of the Servant (Isa. 42:6; 49:6), but this role passed to his disciples (cf. Acts 13:47). The city set on a hill, rather awkwardly introduced among the sayings about light, reinforces the importance of being conspicuously different. A bushel (grain measure of about 9 litres) put over an oil lamp would probably put it out, so that the meaning could be that a lamp is not lit only to be put out again (Jeremias, PJ, pp. 120–121); but the emphasis of the passage is on non-concealment (cf. Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16, ‘under a bed’), so again the ‘scientific’ implication need not be pressed. A secret disciple is no more use in the world than one who has lost his distinctiveness (v. 13). Your Father who is in heaven is a favourite expression in Matthew (cf. 5:45; 6:1, 9; 7:11; etc.), and reflects a major emphasis in Jesus’ teaching. In earlier Jewish thought God was generally the Father of Israel rather than of individuals, though this phrase was coming into use by the first century AD in the latter sense (see ICC, p. 44). (France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 117–118). InterVarsity Press.)

The ability to change the world is dependent on our ability to follow Christ. Christ establishes a new standard of righteousness that is foreign to standards of righteousness that was prescribed by the Pharisees and leaders of Judaism.

The point is that religion does not always lead to righteousness. Following Jesus leads to righteousness.