The Sermon on the Mount
Part 4
(Mat. 5:19-21)
By Jonathan Mitchell
Jesus followed the same form or rhetoric that we find in the letters of Paul and of Peter: first the indicative, and then the imperatives. First the declaration of the facts of how it is - in this case, the "blessings," - and then the admonitions for daily living, the halakha (customs concerning proper behavior and the traditions for how a person should live). Jesus will now set forth the halakha for Kingdom life, but set it within the context of first century Palestine, and with the background of Second Temple Judaism. Here, we should watch for what would be local and temporal, as contrasted to what will be age-abiding.
19. "Whoever, then, should loosen [even] one of the least of these, the implanted goals (impartations of the finished product within; inward directives) - and should teach the People (humans) to that effect - he will repeatedly be called "least" (or: a least one; = insignificant) within the reign of the heavens (or: the kingdom which pertains to the atmospheres; the sovereign influence and activities from the skies). Yet, whoever may practice (or: should perform and do) as well as teach - this person will continue being called "great" within the reign of the heavens (the kingdom, dominion or royal influence from these atmospheres).
This verse transitions to his behavioral instructions. If a person cuts off "the roots" of the tree, or loosens the foundation of the building, he or she would be counter-productive to the Plan and Purposes of God. He or she would be a worthless servant in God's Household. Consider what Paul taught in Rom. 7:12,
"And thus (or: Consequently) the Law [= the Torah], indeed, [is] set-apart (holy; sacred; consecrated) and the implanted goal (impartation of the finished product within; inward directive; commandment) [is] set-apart (holy; sacred) and in accord with the Way pointed out (fair; equitable; just; = related to covenant) and good (virtuous)."
It was "the root" (Rom. 11:18), and the root is not to be torn out, but rather is to be left within the earth-realm. However, since we now live within the new age with the new arrangement, we see that where we had been
"continuously existing being dead ones with the results and effect of the offenses,"
living in the Unseen (the earth-realm of the "carnally-minded") world of the dead, now we are,
"made alive together by (or: joined in common life with, for and in) the Christ - by (with; in) the Grace and joyous favor you continually exist, being folks having been delivered (rescued and saved, so that you are now safe; made whole)! - and He jointly roused and raised (or: suddenly awakens and raises) [us] up, and caused [us] to sit (or: seats [us]; = enthroned [us]) together in union with, and among, the heavenly people, and within the things situated upon [thus, above] the heavens." (Eph. 2:5-6).
We are now part of the plant that is above the ground, living in the Sunshine of the atmosphere above the earth. Our life now is much different than the life of the roots, and we no longer live among the roots, or as the roots. We are now a part of the edifice (Temple) that has been built UPON the Foundation. Our halakha (our practice and performance) and our teaching draw from the roots (the Law and the Prophets) as did Paul and the sent-forth folks. But our halakha looks very different in its manifestation. We are now "branches" of the Vine and of the olive tree, and we produce leaves for the healing of the ethnic multitudes (Rev. 22:2), along with the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and our halakha is seen in Gal. 5:24-25,
"Now those whose source and origin is Christ Jesus (or: those who belong to the Anointed Jesus) crucified the flesh (or: put the flesh [system] on an execution stake; or: = associate their old estranged human nature as being put to death along with Christ Jesus), together with the results and effects of the experiences (emotions; feelings; sufferings; passions) and the over-desires (those rushing passionately upon things in full-rushing emotion). Since (or: If) we continue living in and by spirit (or: for [the] Spirit; to Breath-effect; or: with Attitude), we also can habitually advance orderly in line in regard to, or amidst, elementary principles (or: [observing] rudimentary elements), in and by spirit (or: for [the] Spirit; by Breath-effect; with Attitude; or: = walk in rank following [the footsteps] behind the Spirit)."
20. "You see, I am here saying to YOU people that if your covenantal fairness (uprightness; justice, rightwisedness, and right relationships which conform to the Way pointed out) should not habitually exceed and abound more than [that] of the scribes (experts in the Law; scholars; theologians) and Pharisees, in no way can YOU folks enter into the reign of the heavens (or: the kingdom which is, and pertains to, the heavens; the sovereign rule of the atmospheres)!
Notice the emphatic font size of "YOU people." This was done to alert the reader that the emphatic personal pronoun was used, and thus, Jesus' words were first of all for His immediate listeners. The context of this instruction involved "the scribes (experts in the Law; scholars; theologians) and Pharisees," with which His original listeners would have been familiar, but later readers might not. Very little is known about the Pharisees, outside of what the Gospels say of them, and from the writings of Josephus. The scribes to which Jesus was referring would most likely have been the local scribes of Decapolis (the Ten Cities), or from Judea (Mat. 4:25).
The scribes were not a religious or political group, although they may have been members of such groups. The term refers to a profession: a writer, copyist, bookkeeper for a business. Some apparently worked themselves into positions of lower or middle-level bureaucrats. Many scholars have come to see them as "experts in the Law; scholars; theologians," and for this reason these categories are included in the translation. Because they could read, and the majority of the population could not (so we are told), we can understand how they may likely have become experts in the Law, and thus, "theologians" - especially if they regularly hung-out with the Pharisees.
From Jesus' characterization of these two social categories, we may presume that in Jesus' view their "uprightness" was below par. Those of whom Jesus spoke should not be used as role models. Entrance into the realm of
"the reign of the heavens (or: the kingdom which is, and pertains to, the heavens; the sovereign rule of the atmospheres)"
required a higher halakha that habitually exceeded the
"covenantal fairness (uprightness; justice, rightwisedness, and right relationships which conform to the Way pointed out)"
than was normally practiced by these scribes and Pharisees, to which Jesus was referring. But what did this mean? In the Gospels, the Pharisees had a reputation for being meticulous keepers of the Mosaic Law. Did Jesus mean that His audience had to exceed them in meticulous Law-keeping? Noting the criticisms, elsewhere, that the Pharisees repeatedly leveled at Jesus and His disciples (that they were lax at keeping the Law) should tell us that this was not Jesus' point.
Perhaps Paul can shed some light on this. In Rom. 10:1, he spoke concerning his heart's desire for the salvation/deliverance of Israel. He speaks of them as a group, and seems to focus on their behavior with regard to
"justice, rightwisedness and right relationships in the Way pointed out."
Then we read this, in vss. 2-3 of that passage:
Notice that they,
"were not placed under to be humbly and supportively aligned."
In 2 Cor. 3:15-16, Paul tells us,
"Still furthermore, until today, whenever Moses should be habitually read [e.g., in the synagogue], a head-covering (veil) continues lying upon their heart (= the innermost being of the group). Yet whenever the time should be reached when it [= the heart] can (or: would; may; should; or: shall at some point) twist and turn upon, so as to face toward, [the] Lord, 'the head-covering (veil) is progressively taken from around [it]'"
Furthermore, in Mat. 13, Jesus cites Isa.6:9-10 in regard to such folks:
"'In listening you folks will keep on hearing, and yet you can by no means have things flow together so as to get the picture or see the relationships (or: comprehend or understand), and while constantly looking, you will continue observing, and yet you can by no means see so as to perceive. For the heart of this People was made thick and fat, and thus has become impervious, dull and insensitive, and with the ears they hear heavily, and are thus hard of hearing, and they shut (or: closed) their eyes (or: they squint their eyes), lest at some time they might see with [their] eyes and should then be listening and hearing with [their] ears, and with the heart they could make things flow together so as to comprehend - and they might turn about! And so, I will progressively cure and heal them!'"
Read that last statement, again, "And so..." Kind of sounds like Rom. 11:25-29. So Jesus' teaching in vs. 20, above, is simply information, not a put-down of the scribes and Pharisees, nor a heavy burden put upon His audience. Here we should quote Jesus, in Mat. 11:
29. "You folks at once lift up My crossbeam (or: the yoke which is Me; the balance beam that comes from and pertains to Me) upon you, and instantly learn from Me, because I am (or: I continuously exist being) mild-tempered (gentle; kind; considerate) and humble (low) in the heart, and 'you folks will continue finding refreshment and discovering rest in and for your souls (the consciousness; whole inner person; the mind, emotions and responses).' [Jer. 6:16]
30. "You see, My crossbeam (or: the yoke which is Me; the balance beam that comes from and pertains to Me) is useful, well-fitting and kindly obliging, and My load (the burden that is Me and which pertains to Me) continues being light (not heavy)." We have been told that the "yoke" was a figure for the Law. Jesus was bringing a new Law, which Paul termed, "the principle and law of, from and which is the spirit and attitude of 'The Life within Christ Jesus' [which] frees you away from the Law of the Sin and of the Death" (Rom. 8:2). We learn more about this "principle and law" in Jn. 13:34
"I am giving to you folks a new implanted goal (an inward purposed directive different from that which had been formerly; an impartation of a finished product and destiny that is new in kind and character): that you folks are to be continuously and progressively loving (or: should constantly accept, and give yourselves to,) one another, just as (correspondingly as; to the same level as; in the sphere as) I love, accept, and fully give Myself to, you folks so that you also may constantly (or: would habitually) love, accept, fully give yourselves to, and drive toward union with, one another."
This is how Jesus' Way pointed out exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. The first epistle of John unpacks this idea in great detail.
21. "YOU folks heard that it was said to the original People (or: for the Beginning Folks; among those of the beginning period [of Israel]), 'You folks will not continue murdering.' [Ex. 20:13] Yet whoever may commit murder will continue being held within the decision (= held under the control of the crisis or the judging).
Jesus calls to mind one of the promises that was given to Israel through the Law of Moses. He accessed the "roots" of their culture, from the beginning of Israel being a nation. His audience would have agreed with His statement, but Jesus uses this as a foundation stone upon which He proceeds to build. In this sermon, vss. 21-22 offer His listeners the first of a number of challenges to the customary thinking of the day. These can be compared to the challenges to His teachings, and His often-clever responses, that we find in the following list of passages from the Gospel of Mark, in: 2:17, 19, 27; 7:15; 9:35; 10:18, 25; 12:17.
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