3. The Distinctiveness of the Disciples (5:11 16)

Transcription

1 3. The Distinctiveness of the Disciples (5:11 16) The Sermon on the Mount ends on a solemn note: blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. The importance of this point is so significant that Jesus feels compelled to expand it, explain it and personalize it. He does this by changing the those of verse 10 to the you of verse 11. This subject is too life changing to simply drop it and move on; big problems are in their near future. Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. others Who are the others in this verse that do the reviling and persecuting? To determine that, let s return to our first century context. The great enemies of Jesus were the religious leaders of Israel. It is they that orchestrated the effort to have him put to death, even when Pilate had no interest in it. It is the Jews that denied the resurrection and threw Christians in jail for preaching Jesus. It is of these that Jesus said: Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. (Matthew 23:30 32, ESV) After they murdered Jesus, they then began their persecution of his followers. In the ministry of Paul throughout the Roman empire, it was the Jews that opposed him and tried to enlist Rome in their agenda of oppression and hatred. And in looking at the history of the Church, we see that it was Judaism that was the first great persecutor of believers in the early Church. This begins in Jerusalem where the main adversaries of Christianity were Jews. The church there was understandably harassed more than most. This is perhaps the main reason the Christians in Jerusalem were suffering such economic deprivation, and for this reason Paul took offerings from the Gentile churches for their support. If the Jews had political power, they would go beyond boycott and seize the property of dissenters, a practice on which the author of Hebrews remarks in his epistle. 1 This continued through the ministry of Stephen, James, Paul and others. In the second century A.D., when Rome has now joined with the Jews to persecute Christians, it is Judaism that continues to fuel that hatred. When the Church father Polycarp was arrested and brought before the Proconsul at Smyrna; it was the Jews that were the most furious of the entire multitude in demanding his condemnation. When the mob, after he was sentenced to death, set about gathering fuel to burn him, it was the Jews 1 Bass, R. E. (2004). Back to the Future: a study in the book of Revelation (pp ). Greenville, SC: Living Hope Press.

2 that ran to procure the fuel. And when, inasmuch as the burning failed, and the blessed martyr had been run through with various weapons, it was the Jews that urged the magistrate to refuse to give his dead body to the Christians for burial. 2 The greater and lesser context of history, the Old Testament and now Matthew, all teach that it was Judaism that was the first persecutor that Jesus has in mind here. The others of this passage are their Jewish brethren. This will continue not only till the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 but far beyond that as Jews cooperate with Rome to destroy Christians. Luke s Version Matthew uses the terms revile, persecute and utter all kinds of evil. Luke in his account of the Sermon on the Mount packages it this way: Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! (Luke 6:22, ESV) Either Matthew repackages the material to suit his purposes in his book or Luke does so. Or perhaps Luke is referencing another time with the sermon was preached. And in fact, this would be true of the many differences that are found in each of their separate accounts of this sermon. revile ὀνειδίζω insult To defame, disparage, reproach. Generally it means to rail at, revile, assail with abusive words. 3 Peter remembered clearly this thought when he said: But rejoice insofar as you share Christ s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted [ὀνειδίζω] for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:13-14, ESV) Jesus ask us to do for him what he did for us: For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, The reproaches [ὀνειδίζω] of those who reproached [ὀνειδίζω] you fell on me. (Romans 15:3, ESV) persecute διώκω to systematically organize a program to oppress and harass people to persecute, to harass, persecution. 4 2 Stuart, Moses, Commentary on the Apocalypse, 2 vols., (69), (New York, NY: Allen, Mornell, and Wardwell, 1845). 3 Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000). 4 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 498.

3 Peculiar to the usage of διώκειν [persecute] in the SM is that persecution is done not simply by outsiders but by people outside the group of disciples, people who are simultaneously insiders of the larger community. In other words, this persecution seems to occur between Jews, with the group of the disciples for which the SM was written at the receiving end. 5 The situations depicted in this beatitude reflect what appears to be earlier situations of harassment and persecution within Judaism. 6 utter all kinds of evil against you Verse 10 pronounced a blessing for those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. Here in verse 11 this is expanded to cover insults and spoken malice. This behavior is the result of a godly walk described by Peter as a good conscience. having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3:16, ESV) Speaking all kinds of evil (things) against someone amounts to defamation and slander. 7 On another occasion Jesus made a similar observation: If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:18 20, ESV) We are the servant and we can expect no better treatment than that received by the master. on my account It is Jesus Christ that is the enemy of sin. It is only in association with him that believers are persecuted on my account. This corresponds to the phrase in verse 10 for righteousness sake. This phrase on my account identifies the disciple of Jesus with the practice of Jesus righteousness that there is no place for professed allegiance to 5 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), 149.

4 Jesus that is not full of righteousness. 8 Persecution for any reason other than for righteousness sake and on my account is not Christian persecution. John makes the same point in his gospel. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. (John 15:21, ESV) An unknown Christian apologist in the second century A.D. wrote The Epistle to Diognetus and in it said of Christians: (11) They love everyone, and by everyone they are persecuted. (14) They are dishonored, yet they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are vindicated. (15) They are cursed, yet they bless; they are insulted, yet they offer respect. (16) When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are punished, they rejoice as though brought to life. (17) By the Jews they are assaulted as foreigners, and by the Greeks they are persecuted, yet those who hate them are unable to give a reason for their hostility. 9 This persecution for Jesus sake will continue until he returns in victory to judge all men. Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. rejoice χαίρω Be in a state of gladness, happiness, or well-being. The kind of rejoicing the term chairō denotes is not only a feeling and expression of joy but also an action one chooses. 10 The relationship between rejoicing and an action one chooses is of great significance. It is in choosing the action that the joy arrives. Have you not felt great heaviness of soul, sadness and dejected and then decided to sing, raise your hands in praise and shout glory to God? The result of this choice? Was it not gladness, happiness and well-being? Choices add feet to faith and feet moves one out of the slough of despond to the high ground of praise and peace. be glad ἀγαλλιάω To exult, leap for joy, to show one s joy by leaping and skipping denoting excessive or ecstatic joy and delight D. A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999), Michael William Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, Updated ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 541 [Diognetus 5.11; ]. 10 Kenneth D. Litwak, Joy, ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014). 11 Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

5 Certainly Peter did not fail to grasp what Jesus was saying here. In this you rejoice [ἀγαλλιάω], though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6 9, ESV) But rejoice [χαίρω] insofar as you share Christ s sufferings, that you may also rejoice [χαίρω] and be glad [ἀγαλλιάω] when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13, ESV) The call to be glad about persecution sounds paradoxical, particularly in the exuberant terms Matthew uses. But as with the beatitude concerning those who mourn the blessing is not in the suffering in itself but in its promised outcome. 12 for your reward is great in heaven We are to rejoice not because we are suffering, but because of the reward that is ours because of this suffering. The concept of a reward to compensate the disadvantages of the disciples now becomes explicit. Unlike many modern Christians, Matthew is not coy about the reward that awaits those who are faithful to their calling. 13 Jesus disciples, then, must determine their values from the perspective of eternity. 14 How is it possible that our reward in heaven is great just because we suffer for Jesus sake or as stated in verse 10, on my account? Jesus is saying that one s relationship with him determines one s reward into all eternity. Consider what he is saying. If Jesus was but a man and nothing more, then this could not be true. And if this is not true, then this Jesus is an arrogant fraud, and if not that, then he is a madman. But, if it is true, if our judgment and reward are based on our relationship with him, then this reveals his elevated status, his divine nature, the one by whom all our actions will be evaluated in this life and the life to come. persecuted the prophets 12 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 172). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 13 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 172). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 14 D. A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999), 30.

6 At this point Jesus again makes it clear that Israel is to be a major persecutor of his followers, just as Israel had been the persecutor of his prophets through the ages. If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. (Matthew 23:30 32, ESV) Israelite persecution of the prophets God had sent to them is clearly marked in the OT, and is used significantly in Christian explanation of the widespread Jewish rejection of Jesus and of the Christian mission. 15 it is an implicit christological claim, for the prophets to whom the disciples are likened were persecuted for their faithfulness to God and the disciples for faithfulness to Jesus. Not Jesus but the disciples are likened to the prophets. Jesus places himself on a par with God. 16 God s prophets in the Old Testament and Jesus prophets in the New Testament are one and the same. Consider what that means. The God of the Old Testament and the Jesus of the New Testament are also one and the same! The Beatitudes are a unit. We have studied them piecemeal but we do need to take a look at them in whole as well as in part. We start out with poor in spirit which is where we address the spiritual bankruptcy of our lives. This is a necessary starting place for a relationship with God. We proceed to mourn the emotional counterpart to poor in spirit and the condition necessary to deal with our spiritually destitute condition. Next we are confronted with the necessity of being meek in a hostile world and the promise of an inheritance for those that do so instead of exploding in anger. From this starting place in our relationship with God, we are confronted with the necessity of a passionate craving for righteousness, behavior that is right in God s sight. We learn that believers who have received mercy from God must extend it to others another step in spiritual maturity. At this point, we are reminded of the necessity of inner pureness, pure in heart, for those who walk with God. This pureness will result in right behavior to neighbor. 15 Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (209). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. 16 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 137). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

7 The peacemakers have a special place in God s heart. An angry and violent world is in desperate need for these sons of God. One who grows in God as described in this sermon now faces an inexplicable dilemma; he is hated and persecuted for a life that by its very existence condemns those that observe it but have not chosen it for themselves. Lastly, because this point is so important, there is one more reminder that righteous living will incite the evil to hate, revile and persecute the children of God. There has been transition and progression in our story. It begins with the lost coming to faith in God, it continues with steps of growth, it blossoms in the call to peacemaking but then culminates in hatred and persecution. Perhaps these proved to be the very steps that many in this crowd would experience as they identified themselves with the man of Galilee, culminating in the persecutions of the Church in the years following Jesus resurrection. As Matthew writes his gospel, it is now some 25 or 35 years since Jesus preached this sermon and by now they are experiencing the culmination of a life of holiness persecution. Having now considered the interpretation of these beatitudes, we can seek application for our age and in our own lives. Here Jesus lays out the road to righteousness. And we must be aware that the natural result of such a life in a Christ hating world is not applause and praise. Such is the response of the world to those who defy the word of God; there are many honors, accolades, awards even movies that elevate those who have lived a defiant and evil life. But for those that walk in holiness not so much. The Believer must expect nothing but scorn and persecution in this life. But in the life to come? There we will experience the fulness of the kingdom of God, we will be comforted, there is an inheritance laid up for us, our cravings with be eternally satisfied, we will be shown everlasting mercy, we shall see God and we shall be called sons of God. The Commission (5:13-16) Without interruption, verses move the reader from the statement of the beatitudes to application of the beatitudes in the life of kingdom dwellers. While verse 12 left us pondering the great reward laid up in heaven for us, verses confronts us with the task to be done in the meantime; the content is no longer heavenly bliss but the details of daily life down here Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), 155.

8 So, vss are indeed closely related to the Beatitudes of vss. 3 12, but the statement of vss is also different in that it spells out the commission for the faithful in direct consequence of the previous section. 18 Theologically based on the Beatitudes (vss. 3 12), they formulate programmatically what the community for which the SM was composed regarded as their role and task in the world. 19 Jesus has just finished telling his audience that they could expect persecution for following him and his teachings. This persecution would seem to justify keeping quiet out of fear of maltreatment. Instead we see Jesus calling his church to an aggressive ministry of salt and light. They are to stand up and be seen, to make their views heard and their presence felt in this world. Hiding and being quiet is the last thing they should do. it is those who are persecuted for Jesus sake who are identified as the salt and light, and to whom comes the challenge to sustain an active expression of this role despite all opposition. 20 In other words, the Christian is not poor in spirit, mournful over sin, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker all in splendid isolation. 21 But in fact he does all this as a city on a hill. So in the face of certain persecution Jesus develops two telling metaphors to picture how his disciples must by their lives leave their stamp on the world which is so opposed to the norms of the kingdom. 22 Salt (5:13) Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people s feet. salt In the ancient world, salt was used primarily as a preservative. Since they did not own deep-freeze refrigerators, the people used salt to preserve many foodstuffs. 18 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (211). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. 21 D. A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999), D. A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999), 31.

9 Incidentally, of course, salt also helps the flavor. 23 And apart from the obvious role of salt in flavouring and preserving, in the ancient world it was seen as a purifying or cleansing agent. 24 of the earth The earth is the place where the community addressed in the SM lives. 25 Some believers want to abandon the earth stating that one should not polish brass on a sinking ship. But Jesus takes a contrary position and for him the salt of the earth means that the faithful disciples must get involved with this earth and its life. 26 But as noted in 5:12, this means a life under hazardous conditions; the life of the faithful disciples is not that of passive and helpless victims, but that of movers and shakers: it is a life of doers. Every single situation described in the SM puts the disciples into the center of trouble, difficulties, and hard choices. 27 taste μωραίνω 28 This word is often translated as moron or fool. Used of the mind meaning to make foolish or to show to be foolish. 29 So, a better translation might be if the salt has become foolish. We see the word used in two other places in this sermon: But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, You fool! will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5:22, ESV) And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. (Matthew 7:26, ESV) These verses seem to have something in common. Folly is the mark of a failed Christian. The angry brother in 5:22 has failed calling a brother names. But in particular, the Christian who does not build his life on the teachings found in the Sermon 23 D. A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999), Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (212). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. 25 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), to become insipid or tasteless to become tasteless, to lose taste. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek- English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies. 29 Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

10 on the Mount is a fool who finds his life falling apart around him. So again here in 5:13 the believer that is called to a ministry of saltiness is a fool if he loses the qualities inherent in salt that is, has no purifying or preserving qualities. So, it would seem that the idea in Greek is that when a substance ceases to fulfill its reason for existence it becomes a fool. Perhaps we can project that idea here into our own lives. It is truly foolish not to play the role in this world that God has called us to. It is hard not to conclude that disciples who lose their savor are in fact making fools of themselves. 30 In an age when so many people, including Christians, act so foolishly this becomes an interesting observation. The counterpart to foolishness is wisdom. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; (Proverbs 2:6, ESV) Therefore, to live in harmony with the purpose of the Creator would be to live wisely; to live according to one s own opinion and the desires of one s flesh is to live foolishly. So, whether it be salt or whether it be people, to live contrary to the divine revelation of God is to live like a fool. The solution to so many problems in life is simply the wisdom of God. lost its taste [become foolish] Strictly speaking salt cannot lose its saltiness; sodium chloride is a stable compound. But most salt in the ancient world derived from salt marshes or the like, rather than by evaporation of salt water, and therefore contained many impurities. The actual salt, being more soluble than the impurities, could be leached out, leaving a residue so dilute it was of little worth. 31 The point is that it would be bizarre and unnatural for salt to lose its saltiness: if other foodstuffs are or become insipid, they can be salted into palatability, but this won t work for the salt itself! 32 how shall its saltiness be restored Salt cannot be restored. The salt is gone and only the residue is left. What about the believer? Having lived like a fool, can a believer become wise and useful for God 30 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 139). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 31 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 138). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 32 Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (213). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

11 again? It is true that salt cannot be restored to saltiness or wisdom, but Christians by means of repentance and commitment to God and his word can again live wisely. It is no longer good for anything Sadly, this condition is not only true of salt but of Christians as well. Looking at some Christians in their home, in their neighborhood, in their work place, we must conclude that many are good for nothing. thrown out and trampled under people s feet One should not tone down the violence of the imagery, which takes its clues from practical life. Dull salt is nothing but dirt, and it is thus treated like dirt. It is waste thrown into the street outside, where the people walk over it and trample it down, until it is like all the other dirt of the street. 33 And that is the danger of not pursuing the wisdom of God s word, we may become like all the other dirt of the street. In modern Israel savorless salt is still said to be scattered on the soil of flat roofs. This helps harden the soil and prevent leaks; and since the roofs serve as play grounds and places for public gathering, the salt is still being trodden under foot. 34 The point is that, if Jesus disciples are to act as a preservative in the world by conforming to kingdom norms, if they are called to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent they can discharge this function only if they themselves retain their virtue. 35 So Christians can get involved in the world in two ways: as a preservative and seasoning agent or as dirt, useless for every eternal purpose. Jesus extends to his disciples the mission of salt, but elsewhere notes that some chose anger and others build their lives on sand. One is the way of the sage, the others are the way of the fool. Small and unassuming as salt is, its power is enormous, but only as long as it acts in the way it is supposed and equipped to act. 36 Sometimes foolish and sinful Christians walk out or are thrown out of the community of faith, the Church. And like fools they show little concern for this separation from the Church for which Christ loved and gave his life. To what eternal value or purpose do they now live? 33 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 138). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 35 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 139). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 36 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), 160.

12 Before any conclusions or summaries are drawn, Jesus moves on to the next illustration. Light (5:14-16) Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Perhaps the first thing that crosses one s mind when we read this statement is that Jesus also says that he is the light of the world. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12, ESV) Because of our union with Christ, because he is in us and we are in him, we are in a derivative form the light of the world. In that sense, we are the light of the world. light φῶς light, in contrast with darkness. 37 Light is a universal religious symbol. In the OT as in the NT, it most frequently symbolizes purity as opposed to filth, truth or knowledge as opposed to error or ignorance, and divine revelation and presence as opposed to reprobation and abandonment by God. 38 the light is the good deeds performed by Jesus followers. 39 deeds whose virtue is here set forth in this story. The light is good of the world Jesus began his ministry to Israel only but throughout that ministry demonstrated that there was a bigger mission ahead. In the Great Commission he lays that out: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19, ESV) In the epistles we see this explained again. that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (Philippians 2:15, ESV) 37 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies. 38 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 139). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 39 D. A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999), 33.

13 A city set on a hill cannot be hidden Often built of white limestone, ancient towns gleamed in the sun and could not easily be hidden. At night the inhabitants oil lamps would shed some glow over the surrounding area. 40 In addition, to the oil lamps, the light of the moon would also reflect off the limestone walls of the city. The city cannot be hidden in daytime as the sun reflects from its white washed walls nor in the night when its small lights shine forth so brightly in a world without electricity. No attempt is made to hide it. And there should be no attempt made to hide the reflection of Christ in the believer. Matthew 5:15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. lamp λύχνος a light made by burning a wick saturated with oil contained in a relatively small vessel lamp. 41 Lamps generally used olive oil which was expensive. To light a lamp and then hide it would be foolish, a great waste of financial resources. While vs. 14b observes that a city on a hill cannot be hidden, vs. 15 makes the opposite point that a light can be hidden, but to do so would be absurd and contrary to the light s very purpose of giving light to all in the house. 42 In order to fulfill their nature, those who are the light of the world must be prepared to be located in places of clear visibility. 43 This metaphor is about the effect which the life of disciples must have on those around them. It thus takes it for granted that the job description of a disciple is not fulfilled by private personal holiness, but includes the witness of public exposure. 44 basket μόδιος variously translated as basket, bucket, box, and bowl. 45 Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 40 Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 139). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 41 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies. 42 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Nolland, J. (2005). The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (214). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press. 44 France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 176). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. 45 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 71.

14 let your light shine λάμπω to shine or to produce light, as in the case of heavenly bodies, lightning, candles, torches, etc. to shine, to give light, to bring light. 46 This Greek word, shine, is an aorist imperative which normally express a command. The basic force of the imperative of command involves somewhat different nuances with each tense. With the aorist, the force generally is to command the action as a whole, without focusing on duration, repetition, etc. 47 In other words, we are not given a choice as to whether we are to have a public testimony or not; we are required to shine. good works ἔργον 48 The good deeds are now identified as the shining of the light. 49 Christians are to have good works. Without good works there is nothing to be seen. We are to be seen, we are to make a difference. What are the good deeds spoken of here? They are all the content of the Sermon on the Mount, the very sermon that so many believers take pains to explain away, to insists that this sermon is not for us but for a future period when Jesus personally reigns on the earth for then it will actually be possible to live this way. Now we have the summary. The lives of Jesus disciples are the salt, a city on a hill and the light of the world. As each of these has a function, so do disciples. In these we see two primary requirements of the community of Christ 1) to preserve and disinfect and 2) to enlighten. This is what the world needs and this is what God s people are called to. As the world sees the works of God s people, God is please and glorified. If there are no works, then the salt, city and light are of no value. Thus the kingdom norms (vv. 3 12) so work out in the lives of the kingdom s heirs as to produce the kingdom witness (vv ). 50 the faithful and divinely empowered proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (who himself is the light of the world par excellence [John 8:12]) so transformed men that they in turn became the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). Prison reform, medical care, control of a perverted and perverting liquor trade, abolition of slavery, abolition of child labor, establishment of orphanages, reform of the penal code in all these areas the 46 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics - Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Zondervan Publishing House and Galaxie Software, 1999), good works ἔργον to function, to work, that which is done, with possible focus on the energy or effort involved act, deed. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies. 49 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Including the Sermon Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 140). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

15 followers of Jesus spearheaded the drive for righteousness. The darkness was alleviated. And this, I submit, has always been the pattern when professing Christians have been less concerned with personal prestige and more concerned with the norms of the kingdom. 51 Persecution is common to those that follow Jesus (vs 10-11). But, one must not deny one s very purpose for existence in order to hide from that persecution. This is a demand for prominent witness by the child of God. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12, ESV) 51 D. A. Carson, Jesus Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999), 33. I recommend the reading of such books as J. W. Bready s England: Before and after Wesley (in the abridged American edition, the title is This Freedom-Whence?), or D. W. Dayton s more recent Discovering an Evangelical Heritage. Although I am not always convinced by their theological analyses, nevertheless such books teach us how almost all valuable social trends were spawned by the Evangelical Awakening under such men of God as George Whitefield, John Wesely, Howell Hariss, Lord Shaftesbury, William Wilberforce, and others.