1/25/2014

Matthew: Gospel for the Church

The Beatitudes and Beyond Rev. James P. McIlhone Session #7

The Word Made Clear

In this Session ….. • The Sermon on the Mount • The Beatitudes • The Metaphor of Salt • The Metaphor of Light

The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7

1

1/25/2014

The Divisions of the Sermon • 1. Matt 5:1-16 Prologue • Beatitudes; Salt and Light Metaphors

• 2. Matt 5:17-48 Six Antitheses on the Mosaic Law • How we relate to one another

• 3. Matt 6:1-18 Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting • How we relate to God

• 4. Matthew 6:19-34 Priority of the Kingdom over Material concerns • 5. Matt 7:1-12 Judging and Correcting Others • 6. Matt 7:13-20 Epilogue • Concluding Warnings; House on Rock, Sand

The Mount of the Beatitudes

The Setting • As a result of his preaching, curing illness, and expelling demons • Great crowds followed him

• Goes up on a Mountain (Mt of the Beatitudes) • He sits down (the teaching position of Rabbi) • His disciples come to him • He teaches them

2

1/25/2014

The Beatitudes: A Blueprint for Living God's Law Matthew 5:3-12

The Beatitudes • Traditionally Eight, but text has Nine • Form of First Eight • Blessed are the….for

• Each begins with the adjective maka/rioj • “blessed”, “happy”, or “fortunate”

• Followed by a reason for the happiness for blessedness • Ninth is totally different in form

The Beatitudes • Shift from 3rd person “Blessed are the…” to 2nd person plural “Blessed are you…” • Lengthy clause giving circumstances • Delaying the reason for the blessedness

• Generally thought not to be a part of the original

3

1/25/2014

Blessed are… • Present not a future reality • Conferred by God i.e. passive • Implied – “Blessed by God are the….”

• Blessedness is joy that is completely independent of all the chances and changes of life • Source = walking in the company and presence of Christ

The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12

Luke 6:20-23

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

The First Beatitude • Blessed are the poor (ptwxo\j) in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven • Poor in Spirit • Ptwxo\j is a beggar • i.e. a person who has nothing at all • Except trust in God to provide

• OT God has special care for the poor, anawim

• Urges detachment from things, and attachment to God

4

1/25/2014

The Second Beatitude • Blessed are they who mourn (penqou=ntej), for they will be comforted (paralkhqh/sontai) • Background is Isa 61:2-3 • Spirit has come to comfort those who mourn in Zion • Comfort is passive, hence comforted by God

• Mourn in present; comforted in the future

The Second Beatitude • For what do we mourn • 1) endure bitterest sorrow • 2) mourn the sorrow and suffering of the world • 3) mourn own sin and unworthiness • Out of such sorrow one will find the joy of God

The Third Beatitude • Blessed are the meek (prau+j), they shall inherit the earth • Again present/future construction • Background in Ps 37:11 • Meek – “have been humbled”

• Learned to accept control, the bit of the bridle

5

1/25/2014

The Third Beatitude • …will inherit the land/earth (gh=) • Land – originally “land of Israel”; but now more extensive • Inherit connected to klh=roj, lot

• After conquest land apportioned, by lot • Prov 16:33 lot cast, Lord decides • If we are meek i.e. put ourselves under God's control, we will receive what God has apportioned to us

The Beatitudes • 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. • 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. • 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

• 21 “Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.

• “Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.

The Fourth Beatitude • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, they will be satisfied • Background is 107:5, 8-9 • Hunger and thirst are not part of our experience • True Hunger or thirst becomes an all encompassing focus of food/water.

6

1/25/2014

The Fourth Beatitude • Object of that desire for Mt is "righteousness” • Di/kaioj means “just” rather than “selfrighteousness” • i.e. being in right relationship with • God • Our fellow human beings

• Paul speaks of being "justified" • The Justified Margin – all lined up

The Fourth Beatitude • Hunger and thirst are a lack • Of righteousness in the world • Not satisfied by humans but by God

• THUS Known by some as “most challenging of the beatitudes”

The Fifth Beatitude • Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy • Background is Prov14:21 • Mercy (deseX) is first an attribute of God • NOT sympathy • NOT feeling sorry for • IS getting inside the other’s skin to see thing with their own eyes; think with their mind; feel with their feelings

• It is what God did in Incarnation

7

1/25/2014

The Fifth Beatitude • Emphasis now is on doing for the unfortunate • Key element of Rabbinic ethics “show mercy to the needy” • Cf. Matt 18:33 (Unforgiving servant)

The Sixth Beatitude • Blessed are the pure/clean in heart, for they shall see God • Background is Ps 24:3-4 • Pure in heart = people of integrity • i.e. actions correspond to intentions

• "see God" = not now climb the mountain of the Lord i.e. visit temple • But see Lord in final judgment

The Sixth Beatitude • The Greek ka/qaroj means • Unmixed, unadulterated, unalloyed • Hence Pure

• What are our motives • Are they pure • Are they mixed

• Keep motives pure in order to see God

8

1/25/2014

The Seventh Beatitude • Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called Children of God • Peace = {Olf$ which is fullness, completeness, maturity, integrity etc. • Heart of the standard Hebrew Greeting

• Beatitude is contra zealots • i.e. those who wish to bring kingdom by means of violence • Links to later stress on love for enemies

The Seventh Beatitude • Beatitude blesses the peace makers • Not he peace lovers • It demand action • Not an evasion of issues • Rather it is facing and dealing with issues • Peace maker begins making peace is his own heart • Only then can he make peace outside

The Seventh Beatitude • Promise is "….shall be called children of God" • Just man = son of justice • Consoler = son of consolation • God like = Son of God

• One does work of God = Child of God

9

1/25/2014

The Eighth Beatitude • Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness • For theirs is the kingdom of heaven • Echoes the fourth beatitude (righteousness) • Inclusio with the first beatitude (kingdom)

• Living the ethic of the kingdom will lead to persecution cf. 1 Peter 4:12-14.

Following Jesus Matthew 5:13-16

The Salt of the Earth Matthew 5:13

Luke 14:34-35

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

• 34 “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? • 35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10

1/25/2014

The Light of the World Matthew 5:14-16

Luke 8:16

• 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. • 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. • 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

• 16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light.

Discussion Questions

Resources • Arnold, Clinton, Matthew, Mark, Luke in Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002) • Barclay, William, Gospel of Matthew: Chapters 1-10, Daily Study Bible Series, Vol 1 Rev. Ed. (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976)

11

1/25/2014

Resources • Zodhiates, Spiros, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, electronic edition (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000)

12