Sermon the Mount – Thoughts on Matthew 5

Sermon on the Mount – Thoughts on Matthew 5.

“Great multitudes followed Jesus, from Galilee, and Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,…” (Matthew 4:25-5:12). 

Jesus had just been touring the entire region in a flurry of teaching, preaching and healing. Huge crowds were following Him from one place to the next. So He decided to take His closest disciples aside to a hilltop near Capernaum for a special word. Apparently by the end of His teaching there on Mt. Eremos, many others must have joined them, because the Sermon on the Mount closes with this: “By the time Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were astonished and overwhelmed by His teaching, because the words of Jesus carried such great authority, quite unlike their religious scholars.” (Matt. 7:28-29).  Earlier Jesus had just  finished declaring to the people that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (4:17), that it is drawing near, and now here on this huge hill near Capernaum, He wants to reveal the characteristics of that Kingdom. He has a strong desire to teach His disciples the character traits of the citizens of heaven. In the Sermon on the Mount, reported by Matthew in chapters 5, 6, and 7, Jesus describes not only the ideal conditions of the heart, but also what will result from those attitudes of the heart. He unpacks exciting and fresh interpretations of the Law of Moses that fulfill what God had in mind when He gave them to Moses on Mt. Sinai so long ago. Jesus expands on features of God’s Kingdom and what the way of Jesus looks like. As the disciples will see in the next three years, Jesus Himself provides the example we all need to follow His Way.  We don’t know if this Sermon on the Mount is one long sermon taught in one stretch, or if it is a compilation of His teachings that Matthew decided to weave together. Either way, this Sermon is God’s word and provides the nucleus of the Christian way of life, including the Golden Rule, “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you.”  (Matt. 7:12). 

THOUGHTS ON MATTHEW 5:

Beatitudes: Latin, for the Blessings.

5:3 = Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

You will shout for joy when you are spiritually helpless, like a bankrupt beggar knocking at the gate of the King, hat in hand. Congratulations! When your spirit is poverty-stricken and you have no option but to place yourself at the mercy of God,  He will open the gates to His Kingdom and welcome you in!

5:4 = Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

You will sigh with satisfying relief when your heart is broken by the profound pain of loss, shame, or sin. You are fortunate! You are not alone! For the deeper your sorrow, the more room there is for God’s healing presence and comforting grace. 

5:5 = Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

You will be joyfully fulfilled when you submit to God’s authority, like a wild bronco bridled by a master horseman. Congratulations! Since your strength and giftedness is guided by God, you will soon explore the Family property, the new earth, when it appears.

5:6 = Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

You will enjoy full satisfaction when you starve for a more righteous character like a desert pilgrim in a desperate search for food and water. Congratulations! When you have an appetite for righteousness, God won’t let you go hungry for long, and you will then be ready for a delicious meal of holiness! 

5:7 = Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Congratulations! You are one of God’s favorites when you compassionately share someone’s misery and relieve their difficulty. You are to be envied! For putting God’s love into action towards others puts His love into action for you! 

5:8 = Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

You will cheer with delight when your innermost being is cleaned of mixed motives and impure thoughts. Congratulations! Your clean inner reservoir of  instincts will now more clearly reflect a pure image of God, and your eyes will open to see more and more of Him. 

5:9 = Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

You will grin from ear to ear when you are able to harmonize people and help those in discord to sing the same sweet tune! Congratulations! God is drawing up the adoption papers for those who work hand-in-hand with the Prince of Peace! And the Father is asking you to join the Family choir!

5:10 = Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Congratulations! Be glad! You are in good company when you are treated badly for doing good. You are in a select group when you are mistreated for doing what is right. Rejoice, because the first club meeting of the Fellowship of Suffering will be around the throne in the Kingdom of Heaven! Celebrate! You are to be envied for your good fortune! 

BLESSED = makarioi; a rich Greek word with many nuances, all in the context of enjoying God’s favor: fully satisfied; deeply joyful; delightfully content; profoundly happy; blissfully fulfilled. When Jesus declares that you are blessed, He is congratulating you, confidently affirming that God is active in your life. You are blessed when you put yourself in the position to be transformed by God. You are blessed, you are most fortunate, you are to be envied, because you now have the unexpected privilege of participating in the Kingdom of God. When you are blessed, you are aware that your blessedness does not depend on your outer circumstances. You are thus filled with hopeful joy. So when Jesus says that you are blessed, it is time to celebrate, for He is looking upon you with favor. In these Beatitudes, Jesus is saying that God wants us to be blessed, He is for us, He wants good to happen to us.

EMPTY. Congratulations, you’re running on empty! Now that’s not a blessing you hear every day. Those words seem to contradict themselves. When Jesus hand-delivered the Good News of the Kingdom, it’s no wonder the poor and broken flocked to Him. He told the unblessed that they were in a state of blessing. He told the disgraced that they were in a state of grace. He told the unfortunate that they were to celebrate their good fortune. Jesus encouraged the miserable not to be fooled by dire straits. Be grateful when you are at the end of your rope, Jesus is saying, for only then will you be able to touch the hem of His garment. The Beatitudes reveal the spiritual benefits of weakness, the blessings of emptiness. You are weak? That’s great! That’s a prelude to God’s strength and healing. You are empty? How fortunate! That will surely lead to fullness and satisfaction.

Be Salt. (Matthew 5:13). What did Jesus mean when He flatly stated that His followers were to be the salt of the earth? In other words, Christians are called to be salt. What was He getting at? Since salt has so many qualities and purposes, it seems the sky is the limit on what He could mean. Here are a few possibilities:

1. Salt preserves meat and keeps rottenness from spreading to spoil all the meat. Christians are called to preserve a dying culture; to bring health and goodness to society to help it flourish; to prevent sin from spreading its rotting influence.

2. Salt enhances the flavor of food, makes it edible in some cases. Salt brings out good tastes through its seasonings. So, Christians are called to bring put the best in people; to add zest and zip to life with others; to add liveliness to people and culture. “You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?” (Eugene Peterson).

3. Salt only works well when in direct contact with food, when mixed right into the food. Christians operate best when directly mixing with society and personally present with this world. Believers need to be in direct contact with the world, ground into life, into the mix of people and circumstance, instead of neglecting, avoiding or being fearful of the world. Believers must be comfortable escaping the salt shaker.

4. Salt is used as a healing agent, especially when mixed with water, and treats everything from sore throats to stings to toothaches. Christians are called to be a healing force in this world, applying the Spirit of Christ to troubled, broken or wounded people and relationships. Christians are called to promote human flourishing, wholeness and vitality.

5. Salt is literally earthy, down to earth, common, close to the ground. Likewise, Christians are most effective when not sanctimonious, holier than thou, think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but instead identify with the needs and joys of common humanity.

6. Salt is mentioned in the Old Testament many times as  a symbol of purity (Ex. 30:35; 2 Kings 2:19-22; Ezek. 16:4). So Christians are intended to be reflective of God’s purity, so others in the world can at least get a glimpse of God’s character and goodness. The pure in heart are blessed by God and are a blessing to others. “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” (Kierkegaard).

7. In Jesus’ day, people would put salt on the wick of a lamp, because it would increase the light’s brightness. Rabbinical literature equates salt with wisdom. So, when we Christians apply the salt of wisdom to our lives, our little lights shine even brighter. (TPT).

8. Salt creates thirst, and makes people develop a desire for water. A Christian’s goodness inspires others to become good themselves, and actually makes goodness attractive, not repugnant. True goodness  is salty, and makes others desire the spiritual refreshment of the “living water.”

9. Salt is necessary for our physical health, is found in our blood, and is needed for healthy cell development. Christians are needed to maintain the spiritual health of a society, a community, a family, an individual. Human structures depend on the salt of the Christian faith in action.

10. Salt is worthless if it loses its saltiness, its reason for being. The Christian life is futile, empty and worthless if it loses its fruitfulness. Christians are called to bear fruit.

11. Salt is crude, unrefined when harvested. Christians are not perfect, polished or successful in the world’s eyes, and are still useful for God’s purposes.

12. Only a little bit of salt affects a large amount of food. Only a small handful of Christians can make a big difference in the world.

13. Salt causes stinging when used as a healing and cleaning agent. Sometimes speaking the truth in love may hurt or sting, but it will eventually bring health.

14. Salt can gradually melt hardened ice. When the salt of love is applied with patience and faith, even the hardest of hearts and most stubborn of minds can be softened.

15. Salt absorbs heat from surrounding objects and thus can seal up cracks in hard surfaces. In the Old Testament times, salt is used in a covenant ceremony between warring families or people. Salt was used to seal the promise of peace. Christians are called to be peacemakers, sealing up the cracks in relationships.

16. Salt is most useful when serving its natural purposes. Christians are most effective when simply living the Christian life, following Jesus in word and deed, and being salty, not spectacular. “The serene beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world next to the might of God.” (Pascal).

Be Light. We human beings, created in the image of God, have the responsibility to discover what will enable our light to shine in the world. What will turn on God’s light in us, despite the Fall? Simply put, in order to be a child of the light, we need to love the Father of lights (James 1:17). He is the ultimate light of the world, the personal uncreated light. We know from scripture that God Himself is light (1 John 1:5), that He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:16), that He is the sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2), and that He wraps Himself in light as with a robe. (Ps. 104:1). There is no question God is the source, the very presence of ultimate light, now and forever.

So how do we flip the switch, how do we become children of the light? Not so we can shine like a light bulb, but so we can do what light does… heal wounds, reveal truth, warm what is cold, sustain life, show the way, dispel darkness, clean out impurities, and clarify one’s vision. Light’s properties are needed in the world, and we need to let our little light shine.

How can we live into the light in us, becoming healers, revealers, sustainers, purifiers and dispellers? How can we show the way, for ourselves and others? What do we need to do to show forth our imbedded light that has as its source God’s light, taking seriously Paul’s words in Eph. 5:8: “You are light in the Lord”? Here are three ways to walk as a child of the light:

1. Follow Jesus. First and foremost, follow Him who is “light from light, true God from true God.” Unite with “the Son who is the radiance of God’s glory. (Heb. 1:3). Accept Jesus Christ, who said “I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness. No, he shall possess the light of life.” (John 8:12). The more like Jesus we become, transformed through His Spirit, the more like a window we become, transparent, revealing His light in us, uncovering His radiance, His truth, goodness and beauty. Shine the light of Jesus, and we will become the children of the light. “Look to the Lord, and be radiant.” (Ps. 34:5).
2. Grow in Goodness. How can we show God’s light? By learning to be good, by reflecting God’s own goodness. “Listen, you lovers of God! Hate evil, for God can keep you from wrong and protect you from the power of wickedness. For he sows seeds of light within his lovers.” (Ps. 97:10-11). Deeds of goodness brings the spotlight to the Giver of light. “So don’t hide your light! Let it shine brightly before others, so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.” (Matt.5:16). Let Jesus, your light within you, shine brighter and brighter as you grow in goodness, in purity, in righteousness. And love shines the brightest light. As has been said, Jesus is Love that comes at the speed of light. “The person who continues in the light is the one who loves his brother.” (1 John 2:10).
3. Grow in Wisdom. Light and truth were seen as synonymous in the Hebrew mind. Wisdom is walking in the light of truth. Wisdom is living skillfully, with discernment and understanding. Wisdom is learning God’s mind and living in light of that, making decisions in concert with God’s will. The very nature of light is that it is active, it is doing something. Wisdom is essentially truth-in-action. “Wisdom brightens a person’s face, it makes his face shine.” (Eccles.8:1). The wiser a person, the brighter the light, the more is revealed of God’s light within. In fact, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Dan. 12:3). Walk in wisdom, and let your light shine.

Robert Louis Stevenson is a renowned author who wrote many classics, such as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and A Child’s Garden of Verses. When he was a child, he loved watching a nightly event through his bedroom window: the neighborhood lamplighter would walk along the street, lighting all the corner street lamps with his pole-torch. One night his parents asked him what he was so interested in outside on the street. And young Stevenson said he was “watching a man make holes in the darkness.” When we shine God’s light, we make holes in the darkness of the world. The darkness can never overcome the light of Jesus, the light of goodness, and the light of wisdom.

Fulfilling Torah with Jesus. (Matthew 5:17-48). Jesus wanted to enter a rabbinic debate about the Law and its implications for daily life. He wanted to reveal a fuller understanding of Torah. He wanted to explain the spirit of the Law and its original intent instead of being content with the superficial letter of the Law by the rabbinic authorities. He wanted to broaden the implications of certain Jewish laws, offering His own distinctive interpretation on specific verses. By sharing examples of how He interprets Scripture, Jesus wanted to provide an example of how other verses of the Law could be interpretated. Jesus wanted to show His disciples how to move from ritual obedience of the Law to an inner, heart-felt reverence and faith. Jesus wanted to raise the moral and ethical standards by revealing a righteousness of the heart and not the outward righteousness of mere observation of the commands. Jesus said that disciples must show a greater righteousness than the scribes and Pharisees. The greater righteousness involves a relationship with Christ instead with the dead letter of the Law, and allowing Him to change your heart and life.

When Jesus claimed that He wanted to “fulfill’ the Law, not “abolish” it, Jewish hearers would have understood His terms in a particular way. To “abolish” meant to cancel a law through misinterpretation or by sheer disobedience. To “fulfill” meant to preserve it, to sustain that law by properly interpreting it. So Jesus is engaging in a rabbinic debate about proper interpretation of the Law. Someone had evidently suggested that through His unique interpretation He is in effect canceling the Law, nullifying what has been accepted and in writing for centuries. Jesus disagreed. Hebrew scholar David Bivin paraphrased Jesus’ response this way… “Do not suppose that I have any intention of undermining Scripture by misinterpreting it. My purpose is to establish and maintain the knowledge and observance of God’s word. My intent is not weaken or negate God’s written instruction, but to sustain and establish it through correct interpretation. I would never invalidate the Torah by removing something from it through misinterpretation. Heaven and earth would sooner disappear than something from the Torah.” (Bivin, New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus).

For Jesus loved Torah. He was an observant Jew who cherished the Law. He accepted the authority of God’s Word in what we now know as the Old Testament. He felt strongly about the importance and permanence of Torah. He basically said that the Law of Moses would never cease to exist. When Jesus said in M. 5:18, “Truly, assuredly, neither the smallest letter of the alphabet nor the tiniest little mark on one letter would ever be removed from Torah,” He started out with “Amen.” That word that has a root in the word for truth means truly, assuredly, so be it, this is the truth. This was unusual, because most times someone would say Amen at the end of a prayer or special teaching, affirming the truth about what’s been said. But Jesus used Amen before He even said anything. Jesus is revealing His authority to speak the truth, declaring His words to be truthful before He says it. Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Another way to understand Jesus “fulfilling” the Torah is that He is indeed the Living Word. He is the Law. He is the Author of all that is true. He fulfilled Torah by fulfilling the OT prophecies about Him, through His teachings saturated with truth, through His actions performing God’s will. Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of the Law.

In His words that immediately followed His comments on the Torah, Jesus repeatedly used the formula, “But I say to you.” He is declaring something rather outrageous in the eyes of the rabbinic authorities. Jesus is claiming that He has equal authority to the established Law. He is saying, You may have heard the Law means this, but I am here telling you that the Law actually means that. He is declaring total, divine authority. He is claiming that He knows the original intent of the Law, as if He wrote it Himself. He is telling those around Him that He knows why it was written in the first place. I am here to tell you the Word hidden behind the Word, Jesus is saying, the intended meaning that God was thinking about all along. I don’t want to alter the Torah in any way, Jesus declared, I want to reveal the deeper meanings hidden in the legal meaning. I want to clarify the Law so you truly understand what it means. “Like other rabbis and teachers, Jesus developed His own approach within the parameters of ancient Jewish faith and practice. He sought to reform and revitalize, not to destroy or replace. Jesus placed the meaning of Torah on a firmer footing.”  (Dr. Brad Young, Jesus the Jewish Theologian).

The scribes and Pharisees have set a low bar in their form of righteousness, Jesus said. I want a righteousness of the heart that doesn’t stop at the merely legal or ritual observance. I want the religious leaders to understand that you can probably accomplish the Law as you understand it by sheer willpower, but no one can truly obey the Law the way I understand it, says Jesus. Your righteousness must depend on me and my power, not your human will.

Anger. Jesus’ first clarification of the Law comes from the Ten Commandments. It seems straightforward… You shall not murder (Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17). Of course, Jesus. No one disagrees with that. That’s kind of obvious. But then Jesus begins digging deeper into what He feels is the original intent of the ancient command. It’s really interesting that in Judaism, the citation of a text in Scripture implies the whole context, the larger passage. For example, when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!” on the Cross (Matt. 27:46), He was actually implying that people remember the entirety of Psalm 22 in reference to Himself. Remember the victorious conclusion of Psalm 22, Jesus is implying: “You who fear the Lord, praise Him. All you seed of Jacob, glorify Him; Fear Him, all you seed of Israel. For He has not despised or scorned the beggar’s supplication, nor has He turned away His face from me; and when I cried out to Him, He heard me.” (Ps. 22:24-25). That gives a much fuller picture of the situation, doesn’t it? In the same way, when Jesus cited one of the Ten Commandments here, He wanted His disciples to think about this law as an illustration of how to interpret the rest of the commands. Jesus is giving the disciples a hint on how to dig deeper into the Ten Commandments, finding the original intention of the commands, the intended meanings behind the mere letter of the law.

Jesus is saying that the original intent behind the murder command is not the literal taking of a life, but the hateful attitude of anger that can lead to murder. By addressing a root of murder, Jesus is saying that internal attitudes matter. Attitudes so often determine actions, and the emotion of anger is a particularly dangerous emotion. Jesus is telling us that He will hold us accountable for our attitudes if they lead to sin.

The Hebrew root word for anger is ‘burn,” which makes sense We are very familiar with all the burning words that are associated with anger… hot-tempered; fiery personality; flaring up; being steamed; heated comments; an enflamed conversation; being hot under the collar; boiling with anger. The fact is that when we brood over our anger, nursing it for all it’s worth, we are actually adding fuel to the fires of anger. When we do that it’s easy for the fire to rage out control and lead to the ultimate sin one person can do to another. There is usually a progression in the journey from anger to murder, and the Lord wants to stop that progression in its tracks. Unforgiveness; resentment; stubbornness; pride; harsh judgment; loss of self-control; hostility; contempt; hatred; actual violence. By the time we have reached hatred, murder in the heart easily leads to actual murder in a weak moment. Scripture is clear about the warning about hatred, that it’s a death sentence: “Anyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that the murderer has no eternal life abiding within him.” (1 John 3:15).

Lust. The bald commandment is straightforward and unarguable… Don’t commit adultery (Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18). But Jesus wants to make the point that, just as unbridled anger can lead to murder, just so can unchecked lust lead to adultery. Anger is the slippery slope leading to murder in the heart. Lust is the slippery slope leading to adultery in the heart. And God is just as concerned with the stimulus to sin as the sin itself. The original intention of the Ten Commandments was to focus as much on the ‘devices and desires of the heart’ as the sinful act itself. God wanted to stop traveling on the road to sin before it even gets started. The sexual urge is so strong that it needs sturdy safeguards in place before the mental sin becomes an active sin.

It’s interesting that Jesus chose the eye and the hand as the potential culprits regarding lust… the lust of the eye and the lust of the hand. He knew that men favor visual stimulation, and therefore the visuals of lust are a particularly dangerous temptation. Men also favor tactile experiences, and so the hand is also a ready vehicle to temptation and sin. Jesus is using a figure of speech when talking about plucking your eye and cutting off your hand. This is not to be taken literally, of course. Blind men can still lust. Speaking figuratively and starkly, Jesus is asking for decisive action in cutting out those temptations that lead to lust, when adultery of the heart is plainly in the picture. Deliberately avoid tempting situations that could lead to sin. Cut off any involvement with pornography. Skip the urge to visit a strip club. Turn off suggestive entertainment. Avoid sexy massage sessions and “brotherly hugs.” Cut out of your life serious flirting, or maybe even casual flirting if it could lead to sin. Again, be wise enough to avoid tempting situations. Don’t trust yourself, thinking that you are strong enough to stand up to temptation. We all have our weak moments when we would be vulnerable to making a serious mistake. So, don’t flirt with disaster at the very start of the temptation.

It is not sinful to be tempted. It is sinful to give in to temptation. “You can’t keep birds from flying overhead, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” (Luther). So it’s important we don’t entertain a temptation to lust, feeding it, holding on to it, embracing it. Instead we need to be decisive and intentional in cutting off any habit or urge that would entertain a temptation.

Divorce. With this short teaching on divorce, Jesus decided to enter a rabbinic controversy, a hot topic in rabbinic circles during that time. Mosiac Law was clear in Deuteronomy 24: If a man wanted to divorce his wife for any reason, he could do so as long as he wrote up a certificate of dismissal, a “get.” This formal letter of divorce made it official and acceptable in the eyes of the Law of Moses and in civil law. A man didn’t need any reason in particular to expel his wife from the marriage. It could be that he didn’t like her cooking, or he didn’t like the way she looked, or whatever. A man could divorce his wife for any reason. During that time, of course, a woman could not divorce her husband. This part of the Law was actually supposed to help the wife from being unjustly thrown out of the house. Also, when a husband served divorce papers, he was required to return his wife’s dowry. The wife could then leave the house with some financial support.

The rabbinic debate came down to two main sides… the conservative side and the liberal side. The conservatives were those who believed that there was only one legitimate reason for a divorce, adultery. The liberals believed in taking Moses at His literal word and saying that a man could divorce his wife for any reason whatsoever. But the problem during Jesus’ time was that many men were taking advantage of the literal Law, and not even consider the spirit of the law. Many men were simply divorcing his wife so he could remarry another woman, for any reason. So Jesus weighed in on the conversative side, since the Law of Moses was being abused by so many men in Jewish society. Jesus once again, consistent in His teachings thus far in this section of the Sermon on the Mount, wanted the people to consider the spirit of the Law.

Oaths. An oath was a solemn promise that invoked a divine witness… “As God is my witness.” “I swear this is the truth by all that is holy!” I swear this in God’s Name, that’s how sincere I am!” In Jesus’ day it was common practice to make a promise of honesty and sincerity by giving an oath of truthfulness, swearing by something greater than oneself, as if that adds credence to what you are saying. People in that day were carelessly swearing by oaths all the time, and evidently Jesus got sick of the whole thing. Mosaic Law was clear, though, “That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.” (Deut. 23:23). So if a vow was made, it was treated by believers as a holy covenant between people. If you gave an oath by God’s Name falsely, it was the same as profaning His Name, the same as taking the Lord’s Name in vain (Lev. 19:12; Ex. 20:7 and 16).

The problem was that the Law regarding vows had been diluted in the eyes of the people so that they were mostly carelessly and thoughtlessly offered. The rabbis didn’t help matters when they taught that an oath that did not include God’s Name could be broken, it was not binding. So people broke their word all the time and were still technically obedient under the Law. Too many then took the next step and casually took an oath using God’s sacred Name and still didn’t fulfill the promise. Too many vows were carelessly including God’s Name, which resulted in empty, unholy promises. So Jesus thought it would be wiser to avoid oaths and vows altogether. Don’t swear by anything sacred. Let your word be your bond. In fact, don’t swear by anything at all. Just be honest, and let your Yes be a Yes, and your No be a No. Don’t even bring into your oath heaven, or earth, or Jerusalem. Don’t make a vow of sincerity or truthfulness at all. This teaching of Jesus was actually considered an innovative way of looking at the Law. He might have been given some resistance on this idea, but once again He is looking at the spirit of the Law and not merely the literal word of the Law.

Believers are expected to live a life of complete honesty. Live a life that has integrity, that proves you are trustworthy. Then an oath will be unnecessary. Let your life be an example of integrity and honesty, and your word will be enough. Honesty begets credibility. Don’t make empty promises. Don’t’ say anything you don’t mean. And don’t use sacred language carelessly and dishonestly. Jesus seems to be saying, if you are living the life of faith and virtue, oaths are completely unnecessary.

Eye for an Eye. Remember that Jesus was trying with these words to reveal the spirit of the Law, God’s original intent of the Law. Is Christ’s ideal of non-resistance the spirit of the Law concerning an eye for an eye? The command given in Exodus 21:24 (also in Lev. 24:20 and Deut. 19:21) was offered as a way of controlling a thirst for revenge. It encouraged a punishment that fit the crime. It was never meant to be taken literally. It was called the Jewish Law of Retribution, and was actually a humane alternative to what most ancient cultures were doing. This command was a reasonable instruction to make justice humane, punishment that is appropriate to the crime. If you damage someone’s property, pay for the damages. If you harm someone, pay for what is reasonable to offset the cost of the injury. Excessive punishment was against the Law, as was revenge (Lev. 19:18). The command might be better read as, “only one eye for one eye, measure for measure.” Rabbinic authorities have reasoned this way: “There is no form of punishment in Torah that actually carried out a punishment of maiming an offender. There is no actual verse that appears to mandate injury to the eye, tooth, etc. Although one must intervene to save an innocent victim, one may not actually use violence in doing so if possible. One is to neutralize the attacker through non-lethal injury.” It’s true that Jesus offered His unique interpretation to the Law of Retaliation, but the rabbinic sages sure seem to be in the spirit of Christ’s words.

Literally. These are some of the most controversial words that Jesus ever said. Taken literally, they could mean: Don’t offer resistance to an evil person wishing to do you harm; if someone hits you, don’t hit back and instead let them hit you again; if someone wants your coat, give him your shirt as well; if someone in authority asks you to do something burdensome, offer to do even more; if someone wants to borrow something of yours, let him have it, no strings attached. So it seems like Jesus is saying: Don’t repay an evil act with another evil act; if someone hits you, respond with kindness; instead of demanding your rights, give them up freely; live with ridiculous generosity; be magnanimous if it is even to your disadvantage; reasonable justice must give way to unexpected love; violence is to lead to non-violence. As MLK said, “Break the chain reaction of evil.”

Literally? Does Jesus really mean for us to take His words here seriously and literally? Was He using hyperbole and exaggeration to make a point? Did Jesus mean that we aren’t even supposed to defend ourselves or a loved one or an innocent victim when in danger? After all, we’re all made in the image of God, including me and my loved ones, and are worthy of respect and should not be abused. He doesn’t really want us to be unfairly bullied or harmed, does He? If not taken literally, what is the spirit of what He said? Maybe it’s something like this: Try to make peace your quest in all situations; don’t seek revenge, don’t carry a grudge; don’t retaliate if provoked or offended; do not hate someone who does you wrong; let love be your instinct and impulsive reaction to hate; be generous and self-giving with your possessions; don’t support excessive punishment of a wrongdoing; swallow your pride if someone wants to humiliate you; use weapons of righteousness instead of retaliation; never take the law into your own hands; try not to be offended when something offensive happens to you; avoid an internal spirit of violence; be uncomfortable with strife between people until peace is achieved.

Enemies. The phrase Jesus seemed to be quoting, “hate your enemy,” is not found in the Torah. So one wonders who Jesus was quoting. On the contrary, in fact, in Exodus 23:4-5, we find these words, “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.” And in Proverbs 25:21-22 we see these words about enemies: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For so will you heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” Coals of fire probably referred to the blood rising to the top of the enemy’s head in shame and embarrassment, deeds of kindness awakening the conscience of the enemy. St. Paul liked this proverb so much he quoted it in his letter to the Romans in 12:20. So the ethos in the Torah is that believers were expected to help and generally be kind to enemies.

Scholars say a number of things regarding Jesus’ reference to hating one’s enemies. He didn’t hear it in the Torah, but He did hear it all the time in religious circles during His day. There were three main religious groups at the time, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. They all had influence in religious discussions and daily ethics. The Essenes’ ethic was to hate their enemies, who were basically anyone outside their tight little community. A fragment of the Dead Sea scrolls laid out their Manual of Discipline, and hating one’s enemies was definitely in that Manual. So Jesus may have been referring to the Essenes in this verse. The Pharisees taught that they should love only those who loved them in return. And the Pharisees interpreted Psalm 139:21-22 with a very personal application: “Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate you? And do I not loath those who rise up against you? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.” The Pharisees took those verses to heart and adopted them into their ethic regarding Gentiles, Samaritans, the especially unclean, and basically anyone who hurt their religious pride in some way. Also, there was some rabbinic teaching that added an unwritten inference to Leviticus 19:17-18, which instructs believers to love their neighbors. Some rabbinic authorities believed that “hate your enemy” was just a logical conclusion to draw from “love your neighbor.”

So Jesus knew the religious authorities were on the wrong track, and he wanted to move things forward to the ethic of the New Covenant. The general populace heard a lot of unofficial chatter about hating one’s enemy, and Jesus laid down His new interpretation that reflected the truth about how to treat one’s enemy. One wasn’t merely obligated to act in their best interest, as the Torah says. Jesus said to take it one big step further… They were to actually love their enemies. Jesus’s words in the parallel account in Luke puts it this way: “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.” (Luke 6:27-30). Jesus wanted them to treat an enemy in the way they would want others to treat them. (v. 31).

Jesus was once asked, “Who is my neighbor?” In this context, a good question would be, ‘Who is my enemy?” Scripture seems to say that an enemy is anyone who hates you. An enemy is anyone who curses you, mistreats you, is unfair to you, harasses you, who uses you for his gain. Taken this way, in a world of sin, we all have ample opportunities to practice and live into this ideal of Christ. This particular command of Jesus is maybe the most difficult command to put into practice. How do we let our enemy bring out the best in us, and not the worst? Even if we don’t feel like it, in fact especially when we don’t feel like it, love of enemy is an act of will, and intentional decision to go against our human instinct and respond with kindness to those who hate us, to actually go out of our way to minister to this personal enemy. If having a difficult time knowing where to start, ask yourself, what would I do if I actually loved this enemy? Then do that. That’s a good place to start, after asking for the Holy Spirit to equip us with what is needed to follow Jesus into this special kind of love.

Perfection. And now we have come to the summary statement for this section of the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:17-47, Jesus has revealed the meaning behind the meaning of various commands of Torah. He has sought to reveal the original intent of these particular commands. He wants His disciples to embrace the ethics of the New Covenant, the life-giving spirit of the Law and not merely the deadly letter of the Law. Jesus has reinterpreted some aspects of Torah to more closely reflect what God had in mind when He inspired Moses to write down the Torah for all time. Jesus’s interpretations were unique, distinctive to Him, and He expected His disciples to dig deeper than the religious leaders did regarding the Law. In many ways, Jesus is providing illustrations of how to interpret the Law and find its original intent.

And how did Jesus decide to sum up His section of the Sermon on the intended meanings of the Torah? He said to be perfect. That’s a tall order, isn’t it? Is that all? A piece of cake.  In other words, impossible. Some scholars claim that Jesus is implying the Law as stated in Leviticus 19:2: “Be holy because I am holy.” Others claim that Jesus is referring to Deuteronomy 18:13, in which Yahweh said, “You shall be perfect, or blameless, before the Lord your God.” Perhaps Peter was trying to combine the two commands when he wrote, “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, in everything you do, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15).

Jesus knows of course that we are made of dust and have inherited a sinful gene from Adam. None of us are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. None of us are sinless. Nonetheless, Jesus expects a lot of His followers. Extended adolescence is unacceptable. He wants us to grow up rather quickly in how we conduct ourselves. While seeing that we are on the road to complete maturity, it’s common sense to accept that perfection in our case is a process. It is not a process with God. He never had to mature, to grow up, to develop into perfection. He is an eternally perfect God, moral perfection as is, forever. The Greek word for “perfect,” is teleios, and it means whole, complete, fully developed, attained the goal, mature. But with His statement here, Jesus compares us to the perfection of the Lord God. So in this context, “perfect” means much more than mature. So one could say that perfect in this statement of Jesus means: well-formed moral character; a basic attitude of mercy and lovingkindness; well-rounded in integrity; behavior that is appropriate for higher maturity levels; full of holiness; lacking nothing in godliness; reached the proper height of virtue; living out one’s God-created identity as a child of God; setting no bounds to your love, just as your heavenly Father sets no bounds to His love.

The parallel summary statement in His Sermon on the Plain in Luke is fascinating. Jesus wrapped up His section in that Sermon with, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36). Jesus seems to be equating “perfect” with “merciful.” And maybe that gets to the heart of the matter. But can we be as perfect as our Father in heaven?

If we perform one merciful act, we in that instance are perfectly reflecting a perfect God. The more merciful we are, the more we are reflecting God’s perfection. Perfect isn’t being sinless. It is being perfectly merciful, one act at a time.