Matthew 5:1–12

Associate Professor of Religion and Director of Ministerial Formation, Samford University

Quality Is Job One
Matthew 5:1–12

Learn From Jesus the Teacher (1–2)
Matthew is the teaching Gospel, and it presents Jesus as the great Rabbi-Teacher. Pressed by the crowds, Jesus withdrew to teach, an act that let those who were most genuinely interested gather to listen. The location of the mountain that Jesus “went up” remains uncertain. It may have been the sloping hillside at the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum (see Luke 6:17). The new commandments for Kingdom living, like the old ones delivered to Moses, are given from a mountain (see also Matt. 17:1, 9; 28:16). So far in Matthew’s account, only four disciples have been called. But Matthew understands the audience to consist of more than just four fishermen, since the crowds are said to marvel at the close of the sermon (Matt. 7:28–29). “When He was seated” expresses the action of a rabbi who sat to teach. The double phrase “He opened His mouth and taught them” has special significance in the Greek. It is used of an oracle or of intimate teaching, making clear that Matthew wants to portray the sermon as the summary or the essence of Jesus’ teachings.

Live the Upside-down Life (3–10)
The first four types of blessed persons all begin with the letter “p” in Greek. In English, we might capture the alliteration by translating them as blessed are the “poor” in spirit, blessed are the “plaintive,” blessed are the “powerless” and blessed are those who “pine” for righteousness. Interestingly, even though we call this the Sermon on the Mount, it starts out spiritually in the valley. Blessedness begins with those who feel very unlike mountains, who are not so full of themselves.

The Greek word “markarios,” which is translated “blessed,” is difficult to translate into English. The word reflects that holistic peace expressed by the Hebrew word “shalom.” Jesus conveyed this inner satisfaction in John 14:27: “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”

The “poor in spirit” are those who realize that they are spiritually destitute without God. The New English Bible captures this meaning well: “Blessed are those who know their need of God.” Those who mourn are also blessed. The Greek word used for “mourn” is the strongest word in that language for mourning. It is the word used to designate intense grieving for the dead. Here it refers to exhibiting genuine godly sorrow for sin (2 Cor. 7:9–11) as well as deep compassion for those who suffer at the hands of poverty and injustice. Note that Luke reads as “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). Believers grieve over the world’s fallenness for the time being; in the end, however, the mourning will turn to complete comfort and joy. Often the word for “meek” has been explained as power under restraint. It does not refer to weakness or acting wimpish; rather it refers to bridling one’s aggression. Romans used the term to describe stout, muscular horses that carried a gentle disposition.

Willingly Suffer for Godliness (11–12)
Believers are also blessed when others “revile and persecute you … for My sake.” This beatitude is often merged with the preceding one about being “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” However, “for My sake” denotes one who is persecuted for standing for the person and message of Christ. One can stand for religious principles and moral values and be accepted in a pluralistic society. However, when one affirms that in Christ alone we are truly related to God, the very exclusiveness of this position subjects one to persecution.

Note that the participle “persecuted” is in the perfect tense. This suggests that when Matthew’s text was written, persecution had already been experienced in the church. Those who suffered would include Christian martyrs. Jesus offered two rewards for such faithfulness. First, those who were persecuted and reviled were heirs to the kingdom of God. Second, the persecuted were in good company. They joined the long lines of God’s prophets who were assailed and harassed by those who rejected their message. Great was their reward in heaven, and so it is for today’s faithful.