Our Gospel readings of this past week have been taken from the Sermon on the Mount. This sermon stretches over 3 chapters in Matthew’s Gospel and is the longest single stretch of Jesus’ teachings to be found in Scripture. The purpose of the sermon is to teach his followers about what the Kingdom of God is like.
Jesus begins his sermon with a list (Matthew 5:1-12). It is almost like a poem. Each of the first nine lines begins with the word “blessed.” Each of the first 8 lines has a second half that begins “for theirs is” or “for they shall,” thus giving a reason for why these people are blessed. If you study the first 8 lines, you notice that the first and the eighth end exactly the same: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is present tense, meaning that right now, these people have the kingdom of heaven. In all the lines in between these two, the second half begins “for they shall…” These are all future tense, meaning that they will be fully realized only in the future. What is the significance of this structure? Well, I think it means a couple of things. First, Jesus is speaking about the kingdom as both a present and future reality. We can truly possess the kingdom of heaven here and now on the earth. We can enjoy the truth of this, at least, to some extent. But the greatest fulfillment of having this kingdom will, for us, come in the future. It is a real hope that affects our lives profoundly now, but one we look forward to seeing completely fulfilled later. Secondly, I don’t think Jesus is describing separate groups of people here. The structure is like a sandwich. It begins and ends in the same place. Jesus is describing one group of people, those who have the kingdom.
Then Jesus tells us that we have a special relationship with the world (Matthew 5:13-16). We are like salt. Salt is not the food. It is put on the food for the purpose of flavoring or preserving it. It benefits the food by its presence. In some way, then, our presence in the world is for the world’s benefit, regardless of the way the world may treat us. We are not removed from this world because our presence here makes a difference for the better. God’s kingdom, through us, is preserving and bringing out the best of this fallen, sinful world. “You are the light of the world,” Jesus tells us. This image, like the previous one, tells us that this world is not our home. This world is now in darkness. We are light. We can shine into the darkness, but we are not the darkness. Light provides a way to see in darkness, a way to come out of the darkness. Without light, there is no way to turn from the darkness, to consider any alternative to it. So, our being the light of the world means that we are still here, enduring resistance and often great persecution, because we point to a way out of the darkness.
Jesus tells us, in two short lines (Matthew 5:17-19), that he has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Sometimes we struggle with these verses because we start thinking of all the laws in the Old Testament that we do not observe today, such as the dietary restrictions, or the sacrificial laws, and ask why we don’t follow all of them. But Jesus is not thinking primarily of this or that particular regulation, but of the whole will and ways of God: what God is up to, what He is accomplishing. Later in this passage, Jesus refers to the whole will and way of God as righteousness. Jesus indicates, in no uncertain terms, that His teaching has everything to do with true righteousness as revealed in the whole of the Old Testament. In fact, says Jesus, His teaching on true righteousness will so far exceed that which the Pharisees understood that it will look as if they have all but forgotten what true righteousness is by comparison! Jesus calls us all to rethink what true righteousness is about. A legal definition is not sufficient.
Jesus challenges us to look beyond the requirements of the law and to look at the reasons those laws were put in place (Matthew 5:20-26). Jesus challenges His listeners to see that righteousness goes far deeper than prescribed behaviors. The problem with taking a legal view is that it tempts one to think of his/her relationship with God as a contract. I do my part of the bargain and God should then do His. It tempts us to think of our lives only in terms of the minimum you need to do to keep things right, or even to see what you can get away with and still not be violating the contract that we have. We want God to be obligated to keep His part even while we try to find “loopholes” that we can pass through. One by one, Jesus takes the law and tells us, “You have heard it said to your ancestors . . .”, then he follows up with, “But I say to you . . .”. What he follows up with turns out to be much more loving, but also more restrictive. The law says, “You shall not kill”, but Jesus tells us that even being angry with someone requires repentance. Jesus is leading us to see that true righteousness is far more than legal or external obedience. Righteousness is not about just getting your part done. It is not looking to see how much you can get away with and still be considered “righteous.” Righteousness is right relationships, relationships that spring out of a right heart, a right mind, and right soul, and that righteousness always brings about blessings and life.
Jesus further challenges the “how far can I go and still be righteous” mentality (Matthew 5:27-32). Jesus is leading us to see that destruction to the intimacy and faithfulness of the marriage relationship takes place long before any possible real act of adultery. That act of adultery and all the pain that it causes, begins in a lustful look. To be righteous, to have a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, to be continually and always in right relationship with one’s spouse, is required to be able to enjoy giving and receiving love in a faithful relationship where there is no fear or doubt. This is the righteousness Jesus gives us in Himself, this is the righteousness He is helping us to grow into.
So far Jesus has spoken to us about true righteousness in terms of murder and adultery. He has led us to realize that real righteousness, that comes from God, begins back in our thoughts and in our words. True righteousness leads to relationships that are founded in deep trust, so that vulnerability and intimacy are possible, because there is no fear of hypocrisy or betrayal.
Last Friday, Jesus begins, as He has with the previous sections, by reminding us of what we already know. “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.” The issue here is one of integrity. The Israelites were commanded to be faithful to doing what they had sworn to do. People were able to count on the oath you made. But over time what had developed is a system of oaths that would enable people to look trustworthy, but not to be held accountable to do what they had “promised” to do. Jesus tells us that a righteous person says truthfully what they mean and does what they say they are going to do. If you are righteous, you do not need to take an oath. “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’”
I don’t think that Jesus’ intention in delivering the Sermon on the Mount is to weigh us down or condemn us. He is giving us good news about the nature of righteousness. How wonderful to know that God’s intention for us is that we become righteous people, not just those that do righteous things, sometimes. We are to reflect His very nature and character, to be made new all the way down to the deepest parts of our being! Thank God Jesus came to fulfill the law and provide for us in Himself true righteousness. This is why those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness are blessed and will one day be satisfied–not because they will make themselves righteous, but because Christ shares with us his true righteousness as we receive and participate in it by faith in him.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!