Wednesday, March 03rd, 2010 | Author: Chris
We have now entered into what is commonly called, “The Sermon on the Mount.” Matthew chapters 5-7 are a compact version of what a faithful disciple of Jesus looks like. Of course, there will be many struggles along the way, but this is the vision for the new humanity in Christ, made possible because of Christ’s death/resurrection.
Which of these teachings really pop out at you and why?
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Wednesday, 3. March 2010
Wow! I can use everything that Jesus is teaching in this chapter. It is like reading step by step instructions on how to live a good life according to Jesus. I’ve asked Jesus to tell me what to do and He says it in this chapter.
Thursday, 4. March 2010
There are certainly a lot of things to comment on in this chapter. Jesus says a lot. Here’s my understanding:
1) Jesus says in verse 6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” In John 6 we learn that He Himself is the Bread of Life, able to satisfy our hunger for righteousness. In John 7:37-39 we learn that Jesus invites the thirsty to come to Him and drink. He Himself is our righteousness and the Holy Spirit will cause us to become more like the Son of God.
2) In Matthew 5:17-18 I think we see Jesus referring to His personal fulfillment of the Law. He’s not coming to abolish it, but to accomplish what we cannot. God’s righteousness is ours when we receive it by faith. As Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
3) Often people are not aware that Jesus was born under the Law to redeem the human race from the curse of the Law (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus primarily ministered to Jewish people who knew about the Law and sin (Matthew 10:6, Matthew 15:24). And in Matthew 5:21-48 Jesus buries us in condemnation so that we realize our need for a Savior. We’re all murdering (5:21-23) adulterers (5:27-28). Then to top it off, Jesus tells us to be perfect like God is (compare this with His statement in Matthew 19:17 in which Jesus says that only One is good)! I believe the beatitudes are Jesus’ way of telling you that you cant live up to God’s requirements.
If you have not said yes to Jesus, it’s time to be united with Him by faith and receive the free gift of life. That is how the requirements are fulfilled in us (Romans 8:1-4).
Thursday, 4. March 2010
Hey Shane,
Do you believe that Jesus is expecting us to actually live out His teachings in Matthew 5-7?
Thursday, 4. March 2010
It seemed to me that Jesus wanted us to follow the laws. goes as far as saying we must live more rightious than the pharisees. (or you will not enter the kingdom of heaven) and its in red. Do not break the least of these.
The things I dont get is the gouging the eye out or cutting off the hand. or marrying a divorced woman.
So once the bleeding subsides I will go shopping for an eye patch and a hook.
It says we shall not self mutilate but deal drastically with sin. Taking it very serious.
Thursday, 4. March 2010
No, Chris, I don’t think Jesus expects us to live out the teachings. I believe He wants to live them out through us (Galatians 2:19-21), like the Vine does through its branches (John 15:1-11).
If our goal is to live the teachings, then we will/have already failed. But if our goal is to know the Son of God through faith and drink from God’s righteousness which comes by faith (Romans 3:21-24), then the Spirit bears the fruit of love in us (Galatians 5:11-26).
Jesus heaps more on us here than the Mosaic Law did, as is evidenced by His further clarifying that hate equals murder and lust equals adultery. In the New Covenant, His righteousness is given to us freely by grace and is generally demonstrated by a noticeable change (a change by the Spirit) in the believer’s conduct (simply loving God and one’s fellow man).
Thursday, 4. March 2010
Leo, what do you think Jesus meant when He said He came to fulfill the Law (verse 17) and then when He said that the Law won’t pass away until everything is accomplished (verse 18)?
Compare this Galatians 2:19 when Paul says he “died to the Law” and with Colossians 2 when he says:
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and took the Law from us and now just wants to give you life freely. Quit looking at rules and start looking at Jesus brother (not to say that you aren’t, but we all need to trust more and more)! Those rules get heavy, but Jesus’ yoke is easy!
Friday, 5. March 2010
Thanks for your response Shane!
Are you saying that if someone truly knows Jesus, through faith, then that person will live out these teachings in Matthew 5-7, by the Spirit?
Friday, 5. March 2010
I guess I’m struck by Jesus’ revelation as to how high the bar of moral perfection really is. I have to love my enemy? I have to walk two miles, though my adversary only demands that I walk with him one? Lust is equal to adultery and angry thoughts are equivalent to murder. Yet somehow, by faith in Jesus, we see that what Jesus is commanding just that even as he makes up what is lacking in us as we follow after him.
Saturday, 6. March 2010
(Sorry this is so long, Chris!)
1) I’d first emphasize that God’s righteousness is credited. Before we ever have the chance to live anything out God joins us with His Son and we simply are made righteousness (Romans 3:3, Galatians 3:6). This is why we are in His family.
2) Galatians details that when we believe God and receive this credited righteousness, the Spirit comes into our lives and bears fruit. The Spirit is God, and He is the One Who does the work of changing our thinking, feeling, conduct after we simply believe.
3) We will begin to live a changed life that bears more similarity with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, but it will never include loss of limb or eye because all of our sins have already been forgiven in the New Covenant (1 Peter 3:18). Further, considering that the Spirit had not yet been given, I think the statement “be perfect” is an extension of the condemnation found in the Law, to drive us to Jesus for salvation.
4) I do not mean to be unnecessarily contentious. But, I think the more we focus on the pre-cross/ pre-resurrection teachings without understanding the supernatural change that God wants to do in every person through simple faith, we can confuse and actually bring more sin out in people. Romans 7 actually says that the Law can bring out more evil in a person because of sinfulness. And if the Second Covenant hadn’t been established in Matthew 5, and we actually see more intense commands/consequences given in Matthew 5 than in Deuteronomy 28, why don’t we first make sure that the people understand that Jesus Himself is their righteousness and life, not their conduct?
Tuesday, 9. March 2010
Hey Shane,
I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, and I greatly appreciate you sharing this wisdom with us! You’re exactly right that we must understand that all purity comes from God, and is not of ourselves in any way shape or form. We are absolutely nothing without Him, and it is only through faith in Christ that we will obtain and live truth, period.
That being said, I’m am very concerned with any theology that seems to downplay the obvious implications of Jesus’ teachings, or turn them into something different than what they meant when they were originally communicated. Jesus gave many teachings that were grammatically in “command” form. I hear you are a seminary student, and I’m assuming you have studied some Greek. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. If you look at Matthew 5-7, Jesus gives many commands. As you know, in Matthew 5:19, Jesus clearly says that if we teach something other than His clear-cut commands we will be in serious trouble. After the resurrection, Jesus tells the disciples to teach all nations “everything” He has “commanded” them. That means we need to look at all the teachings/commands that Jesus gave, and we need to teach all of them, by faith, showing all nations they they can be lived out by faith in Christ alone.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I’ve grasped your understanding of Matthew 5-7, specifically that Jesus is showing us how impossible it is for us to live righteousness on our own. However, Jesus doesn’t always package it like you say it. You and I are both disciples who are called to teach other people everything Jesus commanded. If Jesus says “turn the other cheek,” we need to live it, and teach it. We must constantly remind each other that we can’t do anything good without Christ, and we must never settle for anything less than living the teachings of Jesus.
I don’t know you very well, so I don’t really know where you’re coming from. However, I do know of many teachers who interpret passages like Matthew 5-7 in a similar way that you seem to, and they are often re-acting to the extreme legalism they were taught in the past. For example, when they hear an effective pastor teach on Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek, they might call this pastor a Pharisee, because they think he is teaching the law, not grace. However, from my perspective, those who twist Jesus’ clear-cut teachings into some kind of comfortably packaged theology that makes us feel less-convicted are actually upholding the spirit of the Pharisees, because they inevitably downplay the importance of living out Christ’s teachings in a tangible way, right here, right now… The Kingdom of God is among us… and our lives must reflect that.
Jesus says we will know who His disciples are by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-17). Ephesians 2:8-10 shows us that we’re saved by faith alone… but faith is never alone. True faith will always produce true works. Therefore, may we examine our fruit, or lack there of, and may we all pursue more of Christ.
To me, it sounds like you’re on the right track in many ways, and you are digging deep in search of the fullness of Christ. You clearly have a solid faith in Jesus and a love for the Word. I really appreciate the perspective you bring to this blog. May we all learn from you and from one another, as we ultimately learn from Christ Himself.