Contexts & Connections #1-20 Matthew 5:1-20 January 27, Learning to Follow. Contexts

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1 Sermon on the Mount Learning to Follow The Point Jesus teaches us who we are and how to live. Key Verse "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished. - Matthew 5:17-18 Summary Jesus delivers the first section of a long discourse known as the Sermon on the Mount. In it, he offers his first instruction to the young church on how to live in expectation of God s reign. Accompanying Text Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on [God s] law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. - Psalm 1:1-3 Contexts Linguistics The Greek makarios is better translated here as blessed than as happy in this instance. It is to be understood as a reality to be experienced, not as an emotional state to be wished for. 1 In an honor-shame society such as first-century Palestine, another translation might be how honorable are 2 (See Genre, below). Greek does not require the use of the pronoun you, (Gk. hymeis) as it is included in the verb. However, the pronoun is added in verses 11-14, placing extra emphasis, so that it might be translated as you yourselves. 3 Verse 5 references Psalm 37. While the translation of the Greek gēn, as earth or land is correct, those who are familiar with Psalm 37 will likely hear the Hebrew behind it, aretz, which is a reference to the land of Israel Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 1

2 Geography/Setting The setting of this passage up the mountain (Matthew 5:1) is not thought by most scholars to be taken literally, since Luke presents the same scene on a plain. Instead, the mountaintop is part of Matthew s theme throughout, depicting Jesus as a successor to Moses, about whom the phrase went up the mountain is often used in the Hebrew Scriptures. Thus, the relationship between this sermon and the law is reinforced by the location. 5 History The pax Romana, the so-called Roman peace, encompassed the Mediterranean under the Roman Empire between 27 BCE and 180 CE. 6 During this time, Rome was said to have brought peace to all the region, though this peace was obtained and maintained through military means, including crushing the uprising in Palestine from CE. Roman emperors often styled themselves as peacemakers, as well as sons of God. In v. 9, sons (Gk. υἱοὶ/huioi) is translated as the more-inclusive children, but misses this original allusion to the Empire. For Matthew, this is not an individual identity for one person, but a part of what it means to identify as the people of God. 7 Culture/Religion Jesus sits down to deliver this sermon, a traditional posture for teaching in the Jewish tradition. 8 The pure of heart in v. 8 has less to do with modern constructions of purity, such as freedom from impure thoughts and sexual propriety, and more to do with single-minded devotion to the One God. 9 The phrase has echoes of Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which Jesus rephrases in Matthew 22:37 as the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart 10 The oven near a first-century Palestinian house was called an earth, as it was made of clay. Salt was used as a catalyst to make the fuel (dung) burn, and as the salt lost its saltiness, that is, when the catalyst had burned out of the plates of salt, it became ineffective. Thus, the salt of the earth is no longer good for anything once it has lost its taste, not even to help the dung burn. The parallel saying in Luke 14:34-35 includes a reference to the earth and the dunghill. 11 Literature/Genre The life of Matthew s Jesus has strong echoes of Moses from the very beginning, including a period in Egypt (Matthew 2) and a passage through the waters (Matthew 3). In this passage, he goes up a mountain (see Setting/Geography above) to deliver a series of proclamations. However, instead of the law (Exodus 19), or a replacement for the law, this is the fulfillment of the law (5:17). 12 Beatitudes, or makarisms (from the Greek makarios, happy, fortunate, blessed), are found in the Jewish tradition. In wisdom literature, these phrases are used to explain the happiness of those who have experienced reward in their lives. In prophecy, they are used to promise future happiness of those who are currently suffering. 13 The beatitudes in this passage are not so much wisdom statements, offering advice for proper living. They are more in keeping with the prophetic tradition, with promises to be fulfilled by the arrival of the Messiah. 14 Authorial Intention/Occasion The Beatitudes are not intended to be a list of the kinds of people who get to go to heaven, but a description of a community living in anticipation of the arrival of the kingdom of God. They provide a grounding for life together in a community in which the kingdom is coming near, as Jesus has announced since the beginning of his ministry Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 2

3 Audience The disciples in this passage refer to something more than just the twelve named disciples, since most of them are not named until chapters 9 and 10. The intended audience for this sermon is not just those who sit at Jesus feet on the mountaintop but those who seek to follow him in the post-resurrection discipleship of the Church. 16 Common Misunderstandings Both Matthew and Luke appear to have been using the same source (known as Q), when writing the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) and the Sermon on the Plain (Luke). 17 Matthew adds the phrase in spirit to the first beatitude and for righteousness to the third, while Luke s version does not qualify the poor or those who hunger (Luke 6:20-21). This has been interpreted to mean that Matthew is not concerned with those who suffer from poverty. However, Matthew s concern here is for the life of a community that is learning to live together in the promise of the imminent kingdom of God. These phrases, along with the meek in v. 5, echo Hebrew Scripture characteristics of those who identify as the people of God. Matthew s additions make this passage more about identity than about either economic, ethical, or spiritual poverty or hunger. More Information Khan Academy has a video about the Pax Romana online at world-history/ancient-medieval/roman-empire-survey/v/emperors-of-pax-romana (search Pax Romana Khan Academy) Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 3

4 Connections Narrative Lectionary Connections Last Week (Matthew 4:1-17) Last week, Satan tempted Jesus to use his position and power for himself. This week, Jesus teaches that the community of disciples is to strive together to live for the sake of the world, not for themselves alone. Next Week (Matthew 6:7-21 [25-34]) Next week, Jesus will teach the disciples how to pray, helping them bring their desire to live as the church to their prayer life. Other Year 1 Connections The law was given on a mountaintop in Exodus 19 (10/7/2018), just as the Beatitudes are in this passage; Isaiah 42 (12/16/2018) declares that Jerusalem and Israel will be a light to all nations, which Jesus extends to all of his disciples in Matthew 5:14-16; 18 the parable in Matthew 18:21-35 offers a commentary on the mercy that is promised in 5:7. 19 Other Bible Connections The blessings of Matthew 5 are similar to Isaiah 61:1-11, which promises blessings for those who are currently experiencing heartbreak, captivity, and oppression. 20 Matthew 5:5 is a reiteration of Psalm 37: Thematic Connections Guided by God s Promises In the Beatitudes, the church learns what it looks like to live in recognition of God s promised kingdom. A community that lives in the light of the coming kingdom will bless those who are not usually blessed in earthly society. They will let their light, which is God s promised reign, be not only their guide, but also what they show to the world around them. Learning to Follow This passage shows that God has a different set of priorities than human culture generally lifts up. Those who wish to follow Jesus and identify as the people of God will find that their own priorities must shift as well, as they prepare for the kingdom to come near. Liturgical/Seasonal Connections This is a rare instance where the Narrative Lectionary and the Common Lectionary place a text in the same season. The time after Epiphany is a season of light, as the sun begins to return to the sky in the Northern Hemisphere. Verse 16 evokes this theme by reminding the reader that the light that we encounter and share in Epiphany is provided by and grounded in God. So soon after the New Year celebrations, this passage recalls us to the basics of being the people of God in the Church of Christ. Hymns/Music The hymn Blest are They sets the Beatitudes to music. This Little Light of Mine is a favorite children s song that references verses Blessed Are They and We Are the Light of the World are both settings of this passage that might be used by a choral group. Let Streams of Living Justice" and When the Poor Ones both resonate with the themes of justice and God s reign as the Beatitudes envision it. Media Connections On his ecumenical trip to Sweden to commemorate the beginning of the 500th year since the Reformation, Pope Francis offered a new, modern version of the Beatitudes. You can read about them at In Monty Python s Life of Brian, the audience has a hard time hearing the words Jesus is saying. Their interpretations lead to arguments and a brawl, missing the point entirely Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 4

5 1 M. Eugene Boring, The New Interpreter s Bible, Volume VIII, ed. Leander E. Keck et al., (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003), Boring, Aaron M. Gale, Matthew: Introduction and Annotations, in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), Boring, accessed 9/6/ Boring, Joe Kapolyo, Matthew, Africa Bible Commentary, ed. Tokunboh Adeyemo, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), Ibid., Boring, Malina and Rohrbaugh, Gale, Boring, Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., Kapolyo, Ibid., Boring, Ibid., Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 5