Posted By Joe on March 22, 2009

The Picture, Precepts, Practice & Proof

• The Picture, Precepts, Practice & Proof – Part I
• The Picture, Precepts, Practice & Proof – Part II

The book of Matthew contains the well-known and beloved "Sermon on the Mount." It was during this sermon that Jesus gave us the Beatitudes.

Image from: Biblestudy.org

At times, I've had people think that the Sermon on the Mount is only the Beatitudes. For awhile, I used to think that myself. It's important to realize that the sermon does not present the way of salvation but the path of righteous living for those in God's family. In other words, Jesus is speaking this sermon to the believers, to the church body of Christ, and it is much more than just the Beatitudes.

I'm going to break this down into two posts. Today, I'd like to present an overview of Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7. The Sermon on the Mount, at a high level, is made up of:

• The Picture of Kingdom Life (the Beatitudes are found here)
• The Precepts for Kingdom Life
• The Practice of Kingdom Life
• The Proof of Kingdom Life

In this post, we'll break down the Picture and the Precepts.

The Picture

Jesus begins the sermon with the Picture of Kingdom Life by giving us the Beatitudes. These statements describe the intrinsic qualities of the follower of Christ. They are:

1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
2. "Blessed are the those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
3. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth."
4. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
5. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
6. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
7. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
8. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
9. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." --Matthew 5:3-12.

It's interesting to note that these all contradict what the Pharisees were espousing. They were prideful and wouldn't admit their sinfulness. These characteristics demonstrate someone who is in tune with their sinful nature and woeful position on the plumb-line of God's perfect righteousness. Jesus wants us to come to Him, poor in spirit, mourning over our sin. If we can do that, we can be gentle, merciful, and pure in heart.

Immediately following this, Jesus then tells the believer (us) that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. I did a study on Matthew 5:13-15 back in January. In that post, we talked about the significance of those elements. Salt indicates that the world is rotting away and the Christian is the preservative. The light indicates that the world is a dark place. If you haven't click the the link to reference the post, do so now. There is a picture of the type of lamp that Jesus probably was referring to when talking about our light. It helps to see the level of expectation Jesus has for us. It's important because it reminds us that although Jesus wants our light to shine, he's not expecting a floodlight. He knows our frailties and knows we are but dust. This reminds us that it's Jesus' light that we need to shine, after all, Jesus said that He is "the light of the world."

The Precepts

Jesus then goes into a study of the Old Testament law and puts it into blinding light. It's really exciting when you put in into proper perspective. Imagine you are sitting there, at Jesus' feet. You are about to witness God explain the very laws He gave to Moses and the nation of Israel shortly after leaving Egypt. The same God that wrote the law on the stone tablets, is about to fulfill His law by His own mouth! Amazing!

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I saw to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annual one of the least of these commandments, and teaches other to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." --Matthew 5:17-20.

So here are the Precepts for Kingdom Life. Interesting to note that most of these focus on the inward attitudes and matters of the heart.

1. The Law of Moses -- Matthew 5:17-20 (which we just read above).
2. The Law of Murder -- Matthew 5:21-22. Jesus first reiterates "You shall not commit murder." He then magnifies this by demonstrating that the very condition of the heart is that which leads to murder.
3. The Law of Reconciliation -- Matthew 5:23-26. Based on the heart condition that leads to murder, Jesus expounds on this by telling the believer to not even present an offering to God without first reconciling with a brother.
4. The Law of Adultery -- Matthew 5:27-30. Jesus first reiterates "You shall not commit adultery." He then magnifies this by demonstrating that the lustful look with the eyes is that which leads to adultery.
5. The Law of Divorce -- Matthew 5:31-32. Jesus first reiterates "Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce." He then magnifies this by saying that anyone who divorces his wife--except for infidelity--makes their former spouse commit adultery.
6. The Law of Oaths -- Matthew 5:33-32. Jesus first reiterates "You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord." He then magnifies this by commanding the believer that their "yes" should always mean "yes," and their "no" should always mean "no." There is no need for anything beyond that.
7. The Law of Nonresistance -- Matthew 5:38-42. Jesus first reiterates "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." He then magnifies this by demonstrating defensive postures versus going on the offensive, thus placating potential retaliation.
8. The Law of Love -- Matthew 5:43-48. Jesus first reiterates "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." If you look up Matthew 5:43, you will see that "You shall love your neighbor" is most likely in small caps, but the remaining part of the verse "and hate your enemy" is not. This is significant. The portion in small caps means that Jesus was quoting from the Old Testament law for that portion. The remainder of the verse was what the Pharisees taught and twisted the original law found in Leviticus 19:16-18 for their own purposes. But Jesus illuminates this law by giving a brand new teaching:

"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and send rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." --Matthew 5:43-48.

The word Jesus used for "perfect" is the Greek word "τέλειος" or "teleios," which means "wanting nothing necessary to completeness." It's the same word used in Colossians 1:28:

We proclaim Him, admonishing ever man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

It's a way of saying mature, as opposed to sinless.

In the next installment, we'll talk about the Practice of Kingdom Life and the Proof of Kingdom Life.

May He Increase!

Categories: Christian Living, Colossians, Matthew
Tags: adultery, divorce, hope, law, light, love, obedience, peace, Persecution, priorities, righteousness