The Sermon on the Mount
John 5:1 to John 7:29. The Sermon on the Mount: see Luke 6:20. This sermon is so similar to the sermon reported by St. Luke (Luke 6:20), that it is best to regard them as identically the same. It is true that it has been plausibly suggested that our Lord during His preaching tours often repeated nearly the same sermon to different audiences, and that St. Matthew has given us the sermon as delivered at one place and St. Luke as delivered at another, but the resemblances are so extremely close, and the divergencies for the most part so naturally accounted for, that to regard them as identical is more natural. St. Luke's version is much shorter than St. Matthew's (30 vv. against 107), and it contains nothing that is not in St. Matthew except the four woes (Luke 6:24-26). There are, however, striking parallels to St. Matthew's sermon in other parts of St. Luke's Gospel. No less than 34 vv. scattered through his later Chapter s correspond to utterances in St. Matthew's sermon, so that altogether the two Gospels contain about 61 parallel vv. The natural inference from this is that, upon the whole, St. Luke gives the sermon as our Lord actually delivered it, and that St. Matthew (or, rather, his authority) has inserted at appropriate places in the sermon other utterances of our Lord dealing with the same or similar subjects. In a literal sense, therefore, St. Luke's report is, speaking generally, the more trustworthy, but St. Matthew's is the more valuable as containing numerous authoritative explanations of its meaning. The discourse was probably what we should call an ordination sermon, delivered, as St. Luke states, immediately after the choice of the twelve apostles (Luke 6:20). St. Matthew, however, inserts it appropriately enough at the beginning of the Galilean ministry, in order to give the reader a general idea of the Master's teaching at this period.
The great interest of the sermon is that it is a more or less full revelation of Christ's own character, a kind of autobiography. Every syllable of it He had already written down in deeds; He had only to translate His life into language. With it we may compare the wonderful self-revelation in John 17, but there is an important difference. There we have His self-revelation as Son of God, holding communion with the Father in a manner impossible to us; here we have Him pictured in His perfect humanity as Son of man, offering us an example, to which, if we cannot in this life completely attain, we can at least approximate through union with Him. In this sermon Christ is very near to us. The blessedness which He offers to the humble and meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the seekers after righteousness, and the persecuted for righteousness' sake, He first experienced Himself, and then commended to others. And the power by which He lived this life is the very power by which we also must live it—the power of secret prayer (Matthew 6:5.) St. Luke tells us that the night before this sermon was delivered was spent entirely in private prayer (Luke 6:12).
The sermon is very important for a right understanding of Christ's conception of 'the kingdom.' It is 'the kingdom of the heavens.' It exists most perfectly in heaven itself, where angels and glorified saints live the ideal life of love and service, finding their whole pleasure in doing God's will and imitating His adorable perfections. This blessed life of sinless perfection Christ brings down to earth in His own person, and makes available for man. Every baptised Christian is taught to pray, 'Thy kingdom come,' and that is interpreted to mean, Let Thy will be done by men on earth as it is done by angels and saints in heaven. The kingdom, then, is just the heavenly life brought down to earth, and its aim and standard is nothing short of the perfection of God Himself, 'Be ye therefore perfect—especially be ye perfect in love—even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect' (Matthew 5:48). Of this kingdom God the Father is King (cp. the phrase 'kingdom of God,' used by the other evangelists, and the ancient Doxology to the Lord's prayer), but Jesus Himself exercises the immediate sovereignty, being the Father's full representative and endowed with all His powers. He is expressly called King only in Matthew 25:34-40, but His regal authority is sufficiently implied in the Sermon on the Mount, where He appears in the character of a divine legislator (Matthew 5:21.), as the judge of quick and dead (Matthew 7:21-23), and as the sole revealer of absolute truth (Matthew 7:24-26).
The inward and spiritual view of the kingdom, which is prominent in the Sermon on the Mount, is not inconsistent with its identification elsewhere with the visible Church of Christ (Matthew 16:18-19), which includes both worthy and unworthy members (Matthew 13:47). Our Lord identifies His Church with the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:18-19), because it is the divinely appointed means of establishing it. To it is entrusted the awful responsibility of implanting and nourishing the spiritual life of God's children. As to unworthy members of the Church, although they are 'in' the kingdom, they are not 'of' it.
The profound impression which the Sermon made at the time has been surpassed by the impression which it made on subsequent generations. The Mount of Beatitudes has become to all the chief nations of the world what Sinai was to Israel, the place where an authoritative moral code, and what is more than a code, an authoritative moral ideal, was promulgated. Not even the most sceptical deny that it shows originality and genius of the highest order, and reveals a character of unequalled moral sublimity. The many parallels and resemblances to this sermon adduced from rabbinical writings, some of which are quoted in the commentary, rather enhance than detract from its unique character. Its use of current rabbinical phraseology only throws into greater prominence its matchless originality and independence. But what struck the hearers even more than its moral splendour and originality, was the tone of authority with which it was delivered (Matthew 7:29). Jesus spoke, not as a scribe dependent on tradition, nor even as a prophet prefacing His words with a 'Thus saith the Lord,' but as one possessed of an inherent and personal claim upon the allegiance and obedience of His hearers. In His own name and by His own authority He revised the Decalogue spoken by God Himself on Sinai, and declared Himself the Lord and Judge of the human race, before whom, in the last great day, every child of man will stand suppliant-wise to receive his eternal recompense. It is sometimes said that the Sermon on the Mount contains little Theology and no Christology. In reality it expresses or implies every claim to supernatural dignity which Jesus ever made for Himself, or His followers have ever made for Him.
Analysis of the Sermon.
I. The Beatitudes. What kind of persons are really blessed or happy (Matthew 5:3-12).
II. The relation of Christ's disciples to the world as its salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).
III. The relation of the New Teaching to the Law and the prophets as their fulfilment. It repeals ancient ordinances which were imperfect and transitory, expands the moral and spiritual principles of the OT. to their full development, and in so doing enables Judaism to become the religion of the human race (Matthew 5:17-48).
IV. Practical instructions in righteousness for the citizens of the kingdom, forming a striking contrast to the ideas of righteousness current among the Scribes and Pharisees. Alms, prayer, forgiveness, fasting, wealth, freedom from anxiety, rash judgments, reserve in communicating sacred knowledge, persistence in prayer, the two ways, the necessity of good works, stability of character (Matthew 6:1 to Matthew 7:27).
I. The multitudes] viz. those mentioned in Matthew 4:25. A (RV 'the') mountain] The traditional site is the Horns of Hattin, or Mount of Beatitudes, a low, square-shaped hill with two summits, about 7 m. SW. of Capernaum. St. Luke says that the sermon (if indeed he is speaking of the same one) was delivered 'in the plain' (AV), or 'on a level place' (RV). If we wish to harmonise, we can say that 'the level place' was half-way down the mountain.
Was set] The usual attitude of Jewish rabbis in teaching, indicating authority. So in the early church the preacher sat, and the congregation (including the emperor) stood. His disciples] i.e. not only the Twelve, as would be the probable meaning in the Fourth Gospel, but Christ's followers in general. The Twelve had already been chosen, although St. Matthew places the event later (Matthew 10:2-4), and this sermon was their ordination address: see Luke 6:13.