Matthew 5 - What is the Key to Being Truly "Happy"?

Click to Read or Listen to Matthew 5

What Happening in Chapter 5?

This is Jesus' first time teaching the disciples. He saw the crowds, but he realized he needed to have a better teaching context. So he went to a more remote place. He found a quiet place on the mountainside. Notably the disciples came to him. They were eager to learn form him. 

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

For the next 3 chapters Jesus will teach "What the kingdom is like". Meaning what does life look like if we are living by the principles of God's reign or rule in our lives. Importantly we can't look at this as a laundry list of "do's and don'ts". Jesus teaches on what is the key to being "truly happy". It is the abundant that Jesus promises us in John 10:10

The Beatitudes

 We might also say Jesus is teaching us how to live a "blessed life". The Greek word "blessed" is "Makarios", which could be translated as our word, "happy". This is not happiness as the world might prescribe, but the "true happiness" we all long for.  Jesus is giving us the key to a happy life. And the key is living in dependence on him and the Holy Spirit. 

Dallas Willard, my favorite 20th century theologian, has written and spoken brilliantly on the true meaning of the Beatitudes as it relates to being a disciple of Christ and living in the power of the His kingdom. Click on this link if you would like a thorough teaching on this subject. 

The Beatitudes as Gospel: The Manner of Jesus’ Teaching   

Without going through every character quality that comes as we live in kingdom power, it is important to note that these blessings comes as we pursue the qualities listed such as,  "mourning, meekness, peace seeking, pure in heart and thirsting after righteousness." Meekness is better translated as humility. 

For instance, we all mourn when we lose someone we love, but in mourning God helps us to rely on him and experience his comfort, especially if we have the hope of heaven. When we exhibit the kingdom quality of being pure at heart, we see and experience God in a new and profound way. 

One of qualities definitely needed in our society today is a being a "peacemaker". Christians are called to be a part of the reconciliation process God initiates. We can play a role in it. In the example of Martin Luther King Jr., he was a peacemaker. He didn't demean or demonize white people, but he realized true peace would come only as both black and white people did not concentrate on the color of their skin but on the content of their character. 

Some of the movements to create equality seem to only blame and shame those who are seen as the oppressive.  We sometimes call this "reverse discrimination", which only creates more division in my opinion. If someone needs to repent of racism it needs to come through Jesus and the Holy Spirit working through that person to see all people the way God sees them. For God so loved the WORLD (all races, skin colors, ethnicities). Guilting and shaming never creates real change or any type of behavioral modification. Martin Luther King sought reconciliation through love not blaming or hate and Jesus did the same. I.e. There was racism in Jesus' day as well. 

Someone has coined this teaching the "BE-ATTIDUDES". These are not passive character qualities that come without intentional choices to be more like Christ. If you look at Jesus' life, he models all of these qualities in everything he does. 

How and Why Should We Be Light of the World?

We see how the Sermon on the Mount builds on previous teaching. When we exhibit the BE-ATTITUDES, we become the salt and light of the world. Salt preserves a rotting world. Without salt in Jesus' day the meat became worthless. The only way we can be a "salty Christian" is by being out in and interacting with the world. We have to ask ourselves as a Christian and as the Church:

Have we lost our saltiness?

In a similar way, the light shines greatest in the darkness. This is the beauty of the stars at night. The darker the night is, the more the stars.  In other passages, we are called to shine like the stars in the sky. Being a Christian, or a Church, that doesn't shine brightly is like having a lamp with a cover that prevents the light from coming out if i. Like the salt that loses its saltiness, it is worthless. 

As we let our light shine before others we glorify our Father in heaven!

Did Jesus come to abolish the law? After all aren't we saved by grace? 

This is a huge passage in understanding the relationship of the Law and the Gospel. Many Lutheran theologians say that the key interpreting the bible is correctly is know when the bible is talking about Law and when it is preaching the gospel. 

Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. What does that mean? 

As we will see, the only true way to fulfill the requirement of the Law are through Jesus. We all fall short of measuring up to God's perfect standard which was the Law given to Moses in the wilderness. 

There are two types of Laws in the bible. The Law describes the sacrificial system God gave the Israelites in the wilderness to atone for their sin. The Law prescribed all of things necessary fulfilled with the innocent lamb whose blood atoned for their sin. Notice it is the innocent lamb for guilty man.

Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system of the Law by shedding his innocent blood on the cross, so we could be saved. Through Jesus death, we are reconciled to God forever. In this sense we have been made perfect, as we are given the righteousness of Christ. Theologians call this "imputed righteousness". 

But the law Jesus is teaching on in the next paragraphs, which are the "moral law". This is a summary of the laws in the Ten Commandments, which God used to set apart Israel to show the world what He was like. 

Jesus did not abolish these laws, but fulfilled them. I.e. Murder will always be morally wrong in every situation. This law is the basis for all of the disagreement on abortion. Adultery, or having "sex outside marriage" will always be wrong in God's eyes. This law is the cause of much disagreement on practices like homosexuality and same sex marriage. 

As you will see Jesus goes beyond the "letter of the law" to the "spirit of the law". 

Murder

With all of these commandments Jesus introduces each teaching with the words, "As you have heard..." Jesus is referring to how these commandments were taught and practiced within Judaism. Then, he says, "But I say ...". Jesus re-interpretation of these moral laws are what life looks like in the kingdom. They specifically relates to how we should treat each other in our communities of faith. I.e. the Church. 

For instance, in Jesus' eyes murder is not just literally killing someone, but saying something that kills their spirit. We kill someone's spirit when we speak ill or them or gossip about them and tear down their reputation with others. 

Adultery

Again Jesus is not just talking about the physical act of having sex outside of marriage, but the attitude of lust, which leads to adultery. The physical act of sex outside of marriage is preceded by lots of lust. Lust is looking at person of the opposite sex and either wondering about or hoping to have sex with them. 

Speaking as man, I have never met a guy who doesn't struggle with lust in some form. And this brings up a good point. A person may struggle with lust their whole life and have to confess it to God regularly.  Exhibiting all of these qualities can be thought of as "progress not perfection". 

As Martin Luther said, "The Law always points back to Christ and what He did for us on the cross." We are saved once and for all by having faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. The work of Jesus on the cross gives us the gift of salvation once and for all. This is why I believer we cannot "lose our salvation". 

But this does not give us a license to rationalize our sin.. Like if we were to think,  "I'm forgiven so I can sin and just ask forgive later!" We call this "cheap grace". We cheapen what Jesus did for us on the cross by thinking we can just get away with sinning. 

Though we will struggle with sin (obey the Spirit of the Ten Commandments) our whole lives, we look forward to the day when we will be free of sin and in perfect relationship with God in heaven. 

Murder

Another moral law that is hotly debated in our culture rather than just looking at the simple explanation Jesus gives. Notice when Jesus mentions the man giving his wife a certificate of divorce it was because men took advantage of this law. When they divorced their wives unfairly, they were seen as an adulteress and shunned in the Jewish community. 

The bottom line is that God is against divorce. In another passage he says, "What God has joined together man must not separate!" Marriage is a holy thing. This is why the Catholics call it a sacrament. 50% of Christians get a divorce. A healthy marriage is predicated on becoming the type of person Jesus would be if he were you. We need to do work in this area.  

Oaths

People made oaths in God's name thinking it could leverage their credit. But Jesus says, "Let your "yes be yes" and "your no be no". This is all about having integrity and being a man or woman of your word. We don't need to make an oath we just need to follow through with what we said we would do by doing it. 

Eye for an Eye

This is one of the most challenging teachings in the chapter. Who of us would find it easy if someone slapped us in the face to not retaliate. The only we can do this would be if we are living in the kingdom in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Litigation is rampant in our society but Christians are supposed to avoid it if at all possible. And finally, if someone asks you to go a mile, go the extra mile. We often hear this phrase used in society which shows the timeless nature of Jesus' teaching. 

Love for Enemies

As we get the end of this list of character qualities we are to grow into as a disciple of Christ, we get to the most challenging one. How do we love our enemies? We ;pray for them and not get back at them. If someone persecutes you for being a Christian count it as a blessing that someone sees you are a Christian. It shows that you are actually living out your faith. 

We said this is what life in the kingdom is like and Jesus is teaching us the best way to live. I have found that when I pray for and love my enemies the anger towards them dissipates. It is hard to hate someone when you are praying for them. 

This might be the ultimate test for "true love". Loving someone who doesn't love you. It is easy to someone who loves you, but real test is loving your enemies. This kind of unconditional love is what we all need. It was the type of love God has for us when he sent Jesus to die for us though we were in a sense enemies with God. 

Paul says in Romans, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!" Romans 5:8

Jesus has given us a huge challenge today. He has given us attitude to maintain to live the best and happiest life. As John Ortberg says, "The Life You've Always Wanted!" 

What is Coming Up Next:

We reach the end of week 1. If you have been able to read the first five chapters of Matthew by today (Friday) use the weekend to catch up. 

Matthew 6 will show us the other side of the law. He won't focus on the things we shouldn't do but the things we should do. Again we look at the Spirit of the Law not the letter of the Law. Jesus will teach us that some times we try to good things to draw the attention of and draw praise from those around us. He will teach that this is completely missing the point!