When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying…
Matthew 5:1-2
What followed was a series of arguably the most earth-shaking lessons ever taught. Reading — and living by — those three chapters of Matthew 5, 6, and 7 will keep anyone occupied for a lifetime.
Let’s take a look at all that is crammed into this one sermon. Notice how many of these phrases are now a normal part of our culture. That was definitely NOT the case in the 1st century!
Note: Some scholars interpret this as Matthew’s compilation of Jesus’ teachings, rather than a verbatim transcript of a single sermon. It is likely that Jesus repeated the same lessons many times and in many places. For instance, the parallel passage in Luke 6:17-49 records several (although not all) of the the same teachings, but in a slightly different sequence and set as the Sermon on the Plain. If we think about it, we realize that reading the entire Sermon takes less than 30 minutes. However, we’re told of large crowds, the kind that don’t gather to hear a life-changing Rabbi and then leave in less than an hour! Matthew probably is giving summary sound bites, not trying to record every single word that was said.
In any case, we can appreciate Matthew’s editorial organization. Whether or not it is a compilation takes nothing away from the power of Jesus’ words.
Another note: There are other articles on this site inspired by the lessons Jesus taught here. I’ve indicated those links with asterisks (*) in the headings.
Chapter 5
(*) Beatitudes (verses 3-12)
“Blessed are …” those who do everything the opposite of what comes naturally! The poor in spirit; those who mourn; who hunger for righteousness; who are gentle, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers; who are insulted and persecuted for doing right… These are the ones praised, rather than the rich and powerful who are looked up to by the rest of the world. These “Beatitudes” are totally counter-intuitive.
(*) Salt and Light (13-16)
Jesus tells His followers to stand out and make a difference to the world, again by being very different from the culture around them.
Fulfill, Not Abolish, the Law (17-19)
By teaching things so contrary to the standard religious thinking, Jesus might have been seen as seditious, trying to do away with the Mosaic law. Quite the opposite: He had come to fulfill every point of the Law in minute detail. After all, He is the One to Whom that Law has always pointed.
(*) More Righteous than the Pharisees (20)
The Pharisees focussed on details of perfect behavior, often at the expense of true character, to the extent that they didn’t recognize the Fulfillment right in front of them. Even though starting with good intentions, their righteousness had devolved into an outward — and empty — show. Jesus demands more: an inner righteousness.
(*) Anger Equivalent to Murder (21-26)
That inner righteousness is important, because to God the thought means as much as the deed. Whether followed through or not, just the wanting to do away with another person brings condemnation.
(*) Lust and Divorce/Re-marriage Equivalent to Adultery (27-32)
Similarly, wanting inappropriate sexual relations is just as condemned as having them. Also, revolving-door marriages are just as wrong as sexual relationships with no formal marriage at all. If the vows of one-flesh, as-long-as-we-both-shall-live, till-death-do-us-part are not kept by both parties, they might as well not be made 1. I know and love many people who have divorced and re-married. I sometimes also know and love both their former and current spouses. That does not negate God’s commandment, and Jesus’ reinforcement of it here: God’s plan is for a single lifetime relationship, where breaking it is as rare as amputating a part of the body. Our casual acceptance of divorce is a tragedy that has borne much rotten fruit. 😔
Vows: Yes Means Yes, and No Means No (33-37)
Speaking of vows, Jesus said to simply always say what we mean, and mean what we say. Elaborate promises do not add to something that is already true. They also cannot turn a falsehood into truth with fancy words (a lesson many politicians could stand to learn!)
Instead of Eye for Eye, Turn the Other Cheek (38-42)
In today’s culture, it seems that everyone is looking for a reason to be offended and feel insulted, whether that was the original intention or not. In notable contrast, Jesus says to react graciously even if the offense was intentional 2. Settling the score is God’s job, not ours. His followers are to go well above and beyond the norm to defuse a conflict.
(*) Love Your Enemies (43-48)
This chapter ends with the biggie: Anyone can love their friends, but Jesus calls us to love our enemies. God sends His grace on even those who hate and defy Him. His children are to follow that example.
All that in one chapter! But wait, there’s more…..
Chapter 6
(*) Pray and Give in Secret; the Lord’s Prayer (verses 1-18)
Back to the Pharisees and their showy religion, and the inner righteousness that God requires, Jesus instructs that our outward expressions be modest. Give, and do so generously, but without making a big deal about it. Pray, humbly and faithfully, for God’s ears rather than anyone else’s. Ask for God’s kingdom to come, for everyday concerns, for forgiveness, and for protection against evil, all while submitting to His will and giving Him the glory.
(*) Treasures in Heaven/Two Masters/Consider the Lilies/Seek First the Kingdom (19-34)
To people who live hard lives, often barely making ends meet, Jesus says there is no need to worry. God loves them, and will provide for them. Scrambling for money at all costs never brings enough, and eclipses our focus on God. Conversely, a focus on God will lessen the hold that possessions have over us.
Continuing that thought, Jesus reminds us that the birds get fed and the flowers get dressed. If God is taking care of them, we can trust that He will take care of us. When we seek His kingdom, He will handle the rest.
Chapter 7
(*) Do Not Judge/Speck and Log (verses 1-5)
We are sadly eager to point out the wrongs in others. As Jesus said, we would do better to look to ourselves first. Then we can compassionately help someone else from a position of humility.
(*) Pearls Before Swine (6)
The more we think about and realize the extent of the Good News of what Jesus has done for us, the more we want to tell others about it. As good and right as that instinct is, we need to use discretion. Forcing it onto someone who is unwilling to hear it will backfire. We need to follow God’s leading for the right time and place to introduce the Gospel to a difficult hearer.
(*) Ask, and It Will Be Given (7-11)
Before we get all excited about this apparent blank check, we must look at the context. Jesus is referring to God as a loving Father who delights in giving to His children. However, a loving Father doesn’t give everything requested. He gives only good gifts that will benefit the child. Since He knows better than we do, His idea of the right gift will always trump our childish limited-perspective wish list. But, since He loves us, He will give everything that He can in keeping with our best interests.
Golden Rule (12)
“Do unto others” … as we would want done … and NOT before they “do unto us”! That one commandment alone would turn our world upside down if it were followed.
(*) Narrow vs. Wide Gates (13-14)
Following the crowd is a good way to follow them off a cliff. Following Jesus has less company, but a better destination.
(*) Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing/Good and Bad Fruit/I Never Knew You (15-23)
Going along with “don’t follow the crowd” is “don’t fall for sweet-talking liars”. There have been those who want to be seen as Christian leaders but who lead away from Christ; don’t follow them. Look beyond their words to their actions. Look beyond their manifestos to their results. Look beyond what they are on camera to what they are when they think no one sees. God sees, and He will reject false leaders no matter how good their public-relations campaigns are 3.
(*) Two Foundations (24-27)
All these teachings were based only on Jesus’ own authority as the Son of God. He contrasted Himself with all other teachers, ideologies, philosophies, or religions. Only He and His words will hold firm, no matter what.
When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Matthew 7:28-29
Here we are, over 2000 years later, and we are still amazed!
(Picture credit: The cover image is a painting by 19th-century painter Carl Bloch. It was downloaded from the site fineartamerica.com.)
Footnotes and Scripture References
- This is NOT a prohibition against escaping an abusive marriage! However, it does point out the need for careful thought and discernment before entering into marriage, so as to avoid facing that crisis.
- Notice that He is speaking of insulting or demeaning behavior, not of violent attack.
- By the way, that goes for political ideologies also. There are some in the news lately that are sweetness and light when presented but misery and death when implemented. (Looking at YOU, Socialism!)