I only managed to get through two chapters of Matthew in our first session on the book. On Tuesday, I'll continuing the discussion of the Matthew 1-14. I'll talk more about Matthew's use of Jewish scripture, and then discuss the Sermon on the Mount.
Instead of going on to Matthew 15-28, you might reread Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount. Cite here three verses from this sermon, one that you think would be particularly attractive to many of the Jews listening to the message, one that challenges (and might even offend) some people who are already religious, and one that is particularly attractive *or* a turn-off for you yourself. Explain your choices.
Matthew 5:17-18 would seem at first glance to be attractive to many of the Jews listening to Jesus: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets ... For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." For the Jews who prided themselves on knowing every jot and tittle of the law and keeping it, they probably heard in that statement a validation of themselves. Of course, they didn't realize that "all would be accomplished" when Jesus finished His time on earth and it became crystal clear that following the Law was not the way to get to Heaven. But then in verse 5:20, Jesus goes on to say that "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." So now those Jews were probably getting confused and insulted by Jesus' perceived mixed messages. People are going to have to be even more righteous than those extremely "righteous" law-keeping Jews.
ReplyDeleteOne verse that is hard for me is 5:43: "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." I don't have enemies in the traditional sense, who are singling me out to do me bodily harm, but I have people who I absolutely do not admire (okay, I despise) for their character and their actions. When I'm reading the Bible and I come across a verse about God punishing those who lack pity for the poor, orphans, widows, the sick, and strangers and aliens, I think, "Yes, bring it on, God." And I definitely don't feel like praying for them.
I can imagine the Jewish people listening to Jesus's sermon with utter shock plastered on their faces. He calls into question several Jewish laws and traditions that he finds unfavorable. Instead of what the teachings were previously, Jesus twists the ancestors' ways into his will. Out of the many highlighted laws, there are some new takes more potent than others.
ReplyDeleteFor example, one belief Jesus discusses is the treasure in heaven. This is a teaching moment that I believe is congruent with the Jewish belief. This teaching of leaving your worldly possessions behind for God is a value the Jewish people hold. The exact quote is from Matthew 6:19-20: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, or thieves break in and steal".
On the harder-to-swallow side, Matthew 5:17. "I have come not to abolish but to fulfill". The Jewish people were waiting for a Messiah, one to conquer the world. Jesus is acknowledging that this type of savior is not coming; instead, he is here to give salvation through sacrificial love. This goes against everything the Jews thought and is, in essence, why Matthew was addressing the Jews in his Gospel; they had a preconceived idea of how Jesus would come.
One of the verses I find particularly hard is Matthew 5:39: "But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil." Loving those who hate me is difficult. Turning the other cheek is not as easy as it sounds, and most of the time, it is easier to retaliate, gossip, or hate back. Sinning is often easier than discipline, but it is discipline that freedom is found: no matter how hard that may be.
What might be attractive to the Jewish people is certainly in Matthew 5:17 where it reads, Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets, etc. This verse is crucial for a Jew because it proves and can begin to show them that the he has come to give full meaning to what was written because he is the fulfillment of the prophecy. Any of the verses after this could potentially offend an already religious person who is 'obeying' the old law and not what Jesus adds to the foundation. For example, in Matthew 5:27 it says, You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' (Exodus 20:14) Verse 28 continues with, Do not even look at a woman in the wrong way. Any one who does has already committed adultery with her in his heart. These lessons are convicting and this could be unsetting to an individual struggling in sin. A verse I find particularly attractive would be Matthew 6:19. Do not put away riches for yourselves on earth. Moths and rust can destroy them. This continues to tell us to put our riches away in heaven and that our hearts will be where our riches are. I like this because it shows that money and your heart literally have direct relationship with each other. That is very neat.
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