Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount
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A New Covenant
Large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the other side of the Jordan. Seeing the crowds, he went up the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, so he began to teach them.
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As Jesus’s reputation grew, large crowds came from throughout the area and started following him around Galilee. When he saw the crowds, he climbed up a mountain to a point where his voice would carry farther and sat down. In deference to God’s word, rabbis stood up while reading from Scripture but sat down while teaching.1 His disciples then gathered around to hear his teaching. Here, “disciples” means those in the crowd serious about following him, not the twelve men who would later make up his inner circle.2
Since the second chapter, Matthew has painted a picture of Jesus as a second Moses.3 This comparison culminates in Jesus’s teaching from the mountain in Galilee. Moses passed through the waters of the Red Sea, was tested in the wilderness, climbed Mount Sinai, and announced the stipulations of a new covenant between God and Israel. Jesus passed through the waters of baptism, was tested in the wilderness, and climbed a mountain. This puts the sermon that follows in perspective. It contains the stipulations of the new covenant Jesus came to initiate.4
The Spiritually Poor
“How happy are the spiritually poor! The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
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Jesus began his teaching by listing eight traits that should characterize his followers, called the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes summarize the new covenant as the Ten Commandments summarize the covenant at Sinai5 Those with these traits will naturally obey the commands that follow in the rest of the sermon. Jesus described them as happy, a strange way to describe those who mourn or are persecuted. But this does not justify changing “happy” (makarios) to “blessed” (eulogēmenos). The happiness described comes not from present circumstances but from trust in the promise that follows.
Each trait comes with a different promise except for the first and last. Both the spiritually poor and the persecuted receive the promise “the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” This serves as an inclusio, a repeated line that marks the theme of the whole passage.6 Jesus had traveled around Galilee announcing the coming of the kingdom of heaven. He had gathered a crowd of disciples, so now he started to explain how to live as a citizen of that kingdom. Those described aren’t happy in the world. They’re happy in the kingdom.
Jesus first characterizes his followers as spiritually poor. The poor lack material resources. They rely on others to provide for them. Likewise, the spiritually poor lack spiritual resources. They rely on God to save them. Those who rely on their own merit cannot inherit the kingdom. But those who recognize their lack and throw themselves on God’s mercy are happy because they know God has already given the kingdom to them.
Those Who Mourn
“How happy are those who mourn! They will be comforted.”
The second characteristic of Jesus’s followers is that they mourn in this world. Citizens of the kingdom don’t cover up or ignore sin and suffering. They recognize and weep over them. They cry out to God for forgiveness and mercy, both for themselves and for others. The pain of this fallen world touches them deeply, yet Jesus called them happy because they know pain is temporary. God will comfort them, and one day he’ll wipe every tear from their eyes.7
In Isaiah 61:1–2, Isaiah predicted the coming of one filled with the Spirit and anointed by Yahweh who would “bind up the brokenhearted” and “proclaim . . . comfort to all who mourn.” Jesus applied this prophecy to himself in Luke 4:17–21. Through his death and resurrection, he defeated sin and death, so his people don’t mourn like those without hope.8 Their mourning is not despair but longing for the future when God will restore what they lost.
The Humble
“How happy are the humble! They will inherit the earth.”
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The third beatitude refers directly to Psalm 37:10–11.
Just a little longer
and the wicked won’t exist.
You’ll search where they stay,
but they won’t be there.
But the humble will inherit the earth
and delight in abundant peace.
The Hebrew word translated “humble” means more than just “not proud.” It describes those who have learned humility and dependence on God through hardship and affliction.9 Peace and prosperity have eluded them, often because of the actions of the wicked. But they know that “the little belonging to the righteous is better than the amassed wealth of many wicked people.”10
Psalm 37 encourages the poor and afflicted to refrain from jealousy and anger when they see the wicked prosper.11 Instead, they should wait for Yahweh to give them their inheritance.12 Despite their hardships, they can be happy because they know their oppressors prosper for only a short time before they face God’s judgment. But the humble, who have little now, will receive the earth as an inheritance they can never lose.13
Contrary to popular belief, we will receive our eternal home and inheritance on the earth, not in heaven, as God decreed from the beginning.14 After the resurrection and judgment, God will destroy this earth with fire and recreate a new earth free from the curse of death.15 While this earth belongs to the rich and powerful, the new earth will belong to the humble, who wait for God to deliver them.
Longing for Righteousness
“How happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! They will be satisfied.”
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The fourth beatitude describes Jesus’s followers as hungering and thirsting for righteousness. The kingdom doesn’t belong to those who consider themselves already good enough. It belongs to those who recognize how far they’ve strayed from God’s perfect standard yet still long for it as much as the hungry and thirsty long for food and drink. In truth, both groups are starving, but only those who acknowledge their lack and turn to God to fill it will be satisfied.
Jesus already promised to comfort those who mourn, as prophesied in Isaiah 61:1–2.16 The next verse calls the comforted mourners “oaks of righteousness.” The citizens of the kingdom will not only receive back what they lost but also gain the righteousness they could never achieve on their own. Those who rely on their own righteousness to enter the kingdom can never be happy because they must always strive for perfection. But those who, recognizing their own failures, long for the righteousness that comes from God are happy because they can trust his promise to perfect them at the right time.
The Merciful
“How happy are the merciful! They will receive mercy.”
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Next, Jesus characterized his followers as merciful. The merciful look on those who suffer with pity and take action to ease their pain. It doesn’t matter whether they suffer innocently or because of their own sin. To enter the kingdom, its citizens must first repent, recognizing their own need for undeserved mercy17 Nothing should come more naturally than extending that same mercy to others.
Those who show mercy in this world are happy because they will receive the mercy they require on the Day of Judgment. Again, Jesus’s promise applies to the kingdom. The merciful cannot necessarily expect to receive mercy now. On the contrary, the citizens of this world tend to take advantage of them. But in their moment of greatest need, they can rely on “a compassionate and merciful God, slow to anger and abundantly faithful and true.”18
Clean Hearts
“How happy are those with clean hearts! They will see God.”
The sixth beatitude likely refers to Psalm 32:3–7.
Who can climb Yahweh’s mountain?
Who can stand in his holy place?
Those with clean hands
and pure hearts,
who have not treated me irreverently
or sworn falsely.
They will leave with a blessing from Yahweh
and righteousness from the God of their salvation.
This is the generation of those who search for him,
Jacob, who seeks your face.
Rise up, gates!
Be raised, ancient doors,
so the King of glory can enter.
This Psalm promises that those with clean hands and hearts will be allowed to stand in God’s presence in his sanctuary. Normally, only the priests and Levites enjoyed the privilege of entering the holy place. But one day, the King of glory will enter the gates of Jerusalem in the sight of all who have purified themselves inside and out, those who seek his face.
The law of Moses required the Israelites to purify themselves before they approached God.19 The unclean couldn’t enter the temple to participate in worship.20 Jesus affirmed the necessity of purity to approach God, but he focused on the heart. He criticized the scribes and Pharisees for emphasizing the external issues of ritual cleanliness and legalistic details while ignoring the heart issues of justice, mercy, and faithfulness that the law also required.21 Such an attitude could never bring happiness in God’s kingdom.
Yet by mentioning only a clean heart, Jesus hints at an unexpected change. The sacrifices and rituals of the law purified God’s people from both their sin and the contamination of living in a fallen world. In the kingdom era, that purification comes through the sacrifice of Jesus himself.22 Cleansed by his blood, Jesus’s followers can focus on inner purity while they happily await the day when they will finally see him.
The Peacemakers
“How happy are those who make peace! They will be called God’s children.”
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Next, Jesus characterized his followers as those who make peace. The citizens of the kingdom don’t live in peace only with their friends and allies. They actively work to make peace with their enemies. This idea would have come as a shock to many Jews living under the oppressive authority of the Roman Empire. The Pharisees recognized Rome as the fourth kingdom of Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel 2:37–44. They expected the Messiah to appear at any time to inaugurate the kingdom, which they thought required first defeating Rome.23
But Jesus didn’t come to defeat Rome. He came to make peace between God and humanity by defeating sin and death.24 The Father is the God of peace.25 Jesus is the Prince of Peace.26 As the Son of God, he inherited the Father’s characteristics, and he does what he sees his Father doing.27
In Hebrew, to be a child of someone or something meant to have the same characteristics as the parent, for good or bad. John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers,” Jesus called James and John “sons of thunder,” and Paul called the man of lawlessness “the son of destruction.”28 So to be called a child of God is the ultimate compliment. Those who make peace with their enemies will be called God’s children because they act like their Father. They do what God does.29
The Persecuted
“How happy are those persecuted because of righteousness. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
“How happy are you whenever others denounce you, persecute you, and speak every evil thing against you because of me! Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven. In the same way, they persecuted the prophets before you.”
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Finally, Jesus declared that his followers would endure persecution because of their righteous actions. To emphasize this last point, Jesus further defined persecution because of righteousness. It involves everything from defamation to mistreatment to legal accusations—both emotional and physical pain—if it occurs because someone follows him. Jesus didn’t call for rejoicing over the natural consequences of bad behavior or of living in a fallen world. But those persecuted for uncompromised loyalty to him can see their suffering as evidence of their citizenship in the kingdom of heaven.
The citizens of this world don’t oppose those who live by its standards. But those who live by God’s righteous standards don’t belong to this world. So the world rejects them, just as it rejected Jesus. The apostles recognized this truth when they rejoiced after being beaten for teaching in Jesus’s name.30 In the same way, the prophets had always been persecuted for refusing to compromise God’s word.31
Despite enduring painful punishments for following Jesus, the citizens of the kingdom can know they have a reward with God in heaven. When Jesus returns to rule over the new earth, he will bring this reward with him.32 Those who compromise to avoid suffering will see their reward destroyed along with this earth. But those who accept suffering for Jesus will receive an eternal reward in a world that will never end.33
Salt and Light
“You’re the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It no longer has any use except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You’re the light of the world. A city built on a hill can’t be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and place it under a bowl. It’s placed on the lampstand to give light to everyone in the house. In the same way, your light must shine before others so they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Image by Adam Solorio from Creation Swap
The Jews of Jesus’s day knew the Messiah would bring the kingdom, but the Beatitudes introduced a twist they didn’t expect. They clearly portray the citizens of the kingdom continuing to live—and even to suffer—in the present world. “The kingdom belongs to them” in the present, but they wait for the future fulfillment of the other promises. The kingdom is now but also not yet.
Jesus used two metaphors to explain the purpose of this interim period and the role of his followers during it.34 First, he compared them to salt, which draws out the flavor of food. But it serves no purpose if it loses its taste. Though this can’t happen with pure salt, most of the salt in Israel came from the Dead Sea and had impurities mixed in. The salt could leach out in high humidity, leaving nothing of value.35
Jesus next compared his followers to light, which dispels darkness, allowing others to see. Like a city on a hill, the kingdom can’t be hidden. Weary travelers see its light even from far off. But a lamp hidden under a bowl serves no purpose. Instead, lamps are placed on stands. For most Israelites, a single lamp lit the whole one-room house.
Salt draws out the good, and light dispels the bad. The kingdom represents the ultimate restoration of everything good in God’s creation and the destruction of all the evil that has marred it since the fall of humanity. As both salt and light, its citizens serve as purifying agents in the world. Why? So the people of the world will see and glorify the Father. In that way, the kingdom grows. The stone grows into a mountain.36 The tiny mustard seed grows into a tree.37 The yeast leavens all the dough.38 But believers who hide their light or lose their flavor by mixing with impurities fail to serve their kingdom purpose.
- Osborn, Matthew, 165; see Luke 4:16–21.
- Matthew 7:28.
- See The Massacre of the Innocents; All Righteousness; Wilderness Testing.
- Jeremiah 31:31–34; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 9:15.
- See The Ten Commandments.
- See Inclusio.
- Revelation 21:4.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14.
- Harris et al., Wordbook, “עָנָו.”
- Psalm 37:16.
- Psalm 37:1, 8.
- Psalm 37:34.
- Psalm 37:18, 29.
- Genesis 1:26–28.
- 2 Peter 3:7, 13; Revelation 21:1.
- See Those Who Mourn.
- See Jesus’s Message.
- Exodus 34:6.
- Exodus 19:10–11.
- Leviticus 15:11.
- Matthew 23:23–26.
- Hebrews 9:14.
- See Son of the Exile.
- Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:13–16; 2 Corinthians 5:18–21.
- Judges 6:23–24; Hebrews 13:20.
- Isaiah 9:6; Zechariah 9:10.
- John 5:19; see John 8:39.
- Matthew 3:7; Mark 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
- Ephesians 5:1.
- Acts 5:40–41.
- Exodus 17:1–4; 1 Kings 19:1–3; 2 Chronicles 18:23–27; Jeremiah 15:15.
- Revelation 21:1–3; 22:12.
- 1 Corinthians 3:13–15.
- See Metaphor.
- Carson, “Matthew,” 169; France, Gospel of Matthew, 117.
- Daniel 2:25, 44–45.
- Matthew 13:31–32.
- Matthew 13:33.