The Sermon on the Mount Part 2
By Jonathan Mitchell
Mat. 5:10-14
10. "Those being ones having been pressed forward, chased or persecuted in the cause of right, and for the sake of fairness, equity, [covenant] relationships or justice which comes from the Way pointed out (or: because of [God's] eschatological deliverance) [are] happy and blessed because the reign of the heavens continually belongs to, is made up of, and is, them
(or: for the kingdom and sovereign activities of and from the atmospheres are continuing from among, and pertains to, them, and are being a source in and for them)!
The final clause of this verse is identical to the final clause of vs. 3, above. This gives us either another picture of the same group or categorization of people, or else shows us another categorization of folks who also possess the kingdom, and of whom the heavens' reign consists. The varieties within the "kingdom" seem to be as varied as those who are termed "God's sons." This makes us think of the varieties of comparisons within Jesus' parables of the kingdom/reign. Now take note of the things, or experiences, in this verse which Jesus indicates that these folks endure, or will endure. Do we not see these very things spoken of within the called-out communities of the new covenant, from the book of Acts, and onward? Is not dikaiosune, i.e.,
"fairness, equity, [covenant] relationships or justice (i.e., what is right) which comes from the Way pointed out (or: because of [God's] eschatological deliverance),"
one of the central topics of Paul's teachings? Can you see the flow, from Jesus to Paul?
Paul spoke to our harsh experiences, in 2 Cor. 4:8-11,
"We are people being constantly pressed on every [side] (or: squeezed and constricted within the midst of everything; given affliction, oppression and tribulation by everyone)... we are folks being constantly pursued and persecuted... at all times continuously carrying around (or: bearing about) among (or: centered in) the [corporate] body Jesus' being put to death... For we, ourselves - the continuously living ones - are ever being repeatedly handed over and committed into death (or: = continuously delivered into life-threatening experiences) - because of Jesus..."
But in vss. 16-17, of this same chapter, he instructs us concerning our outcome:
16. For this reason we do not habitually behave with a bad attitude, or perform in a worthless manner, or act from out of a mood that is poor in quality, or become discouraged. But to the contrary, even if (or: since also) our outside person (or: outer humanity; = body of flesh) is being progressively wasted away (is constantly being decayed and brought to ruin and corruption), certainly our inside [person] (= inner humanity; Eph. 2:15) is day by day (or: from day to day; on a daily basis) being progressively made new again (or: renewed) in kind and quality so as to have a different character that is fresh and effective.
17. So you see, the momentary light [aspect or character] (or: lightness) of the pressure and squeezing (the affliction, oppression and tribulation) is progressively working down in us a corresponding (commensurate) and consecutively transcending eonian weight of glory(or: is repeatedly producing for us a heavy burden of glory, down from one over-casting on into another over-cast, each of which pertains to the Age; or: is now accomplishing with us an according, age-lasting weight of a good reputation - [each] a transcending one [leading] into [another] transcending one; or: is continuously effecting in us - on the level of "surpassing leading into surpassing" - a weight which has the quality of the realm of [Messiah's] Age, and which belongs to a praise-inducing, assumed manifestation)
These positive results correspond to what Jesus said concerning God's reign/kingdom, in vs. 10, above. Peter echoed Jesus' instructions, in 1 Pet. 3:
15. Now "you folks set [the] Lord [= Yahweh] - the Anointed One - apart (or: Yet, let the Lord Christ be set-apart)" [Isa. 8:13], within your hearts! (or: So, treat the Anointed Owner as holy, in the core of your beings)...
So here, again, we see the teachings of Jesus, which have their roots in the OT (Rom. 11:18), carried forward within the new covenant (the new "creation"). There is one continuing story, from Genesis to Revelation. But arrangements change, along the journey. God's reign is organic, and it is a Vine, and an olive tree (Rom. 11:17), that continues growing.
11. "You folks are and continue to be happy and blessed people!
Now whenever people may denounce, reproach, heap insults on and persecute or chase you folks, and while continuously lying, may even say every bad thing (spreading malicious gossip; [other MSS: every misery-gushed utterance]) down against you - for the sake of Me,
I separated the first clause of this verse as a simple pronouncement by Jesus, rather than the conventional way of joining it to what follows. All that He has just taught, from vs. 3 up to this statement, applied first of all to His listeners: they were, and would continue being,
"happy and blessed people."
We read
"Now whenever people may denounce... for the sake of Me,"
as an extended, dependent clause that leads directly into the admonition of the first clause of vs. 12,
"be continuously rejoicing..."
12. be continuously rejoicing and repeatedly express extreme exultation, because your wage (compensation; reward) [is] much (large; great), within the heavens (or: atmospheres [that surround you])! You see, they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
The reason to be continuously rejoicing, etc., is
"because your wage (compensation; reward) [is] much (large; great), within the heavens (or: atmospheres [that surround you])!"
This result, the "wage," is something that they have earned because of what they have gone through "for the sake of [Him]." It is not a material compensation or reward, it is compensation within His kingdom and sovereign reign and activities. The "wage" that is received is, in fact, God's reign (which means His presence) with which they have been blessed and made happy.
Notice the last statement: He compares them to "the prophet," indicating that the behavior of the world, and especially that of the religious institutions, would continue - even as they proceed spreading God's reign and sovereign activities. But as we follow Jesus, on His Path, we are transformed (2 Cor. 3:18) so as to become merciers (vs.7, above), just as He is.
13. "You people, yourselves, exist being (are) the salt of the Land (or: territory; earth). Now if the salt should ever be made dull or tasteless (literally: foolish; nonsensical), in what way will it continue being salted (or: made salty)? It still continues giving strength into nothing (= it still cannot provide seasoning), except being thrown outside, to be repeatedly (or: continuously) trampled down by people (or: tread down under the humans).
Let us first observe that the two items of the predicate in the first statement, "salt" and "Land (territory; earth)," are both metaphors taken from the physical creation, and thus, both apply to "people." Jesus' followers (people) were salt of the Land/earth (people). This adds more light to "inherit the Land/earth" spoken of in vs. 5b, above. This is what Israel, as God's people, were to be for all the other ethnic multitudes of the earth. They became "dull or tasteless (literally: foolish; nonsensical)," and then were "thrown outside, to be repeatedly (or: continuously) trampled down by people (or: tread down under the humans)" - first the ten northern tribes, by the Assyrians, and later the southern kingdom, by the Babylonians. As salt adds flavor to food, and can also preserve it, so the presence of the Lord ("taste and see...") within a people causes them to have a positive effect upon those around them. Even after Cyrus, and the Persian Empire, allowed the Jews to return from Exile, once again, in the time of Jesus' ministry, Judea's leadership had become:
"closely resembling whitewashed (i.e., smeared or plastered with lime) tombs (sepulchers; grave sites), which indeed, from outside, continue being made to appear in the prime of beauty, for a time - yet inside they contain a full load of bones of dead folks, as well as every uncleanness" (Mat. 23:27). Talk about becoming "tasteless"!
Well, there is the potential for Jesus' followers to become dull, tasteless, foolish and nonsensical. Consider what Paul said to those of the called out community in Rome:
"You will say (or: declare), then, ‘Branches are broken off (or: were broken out of [the tree]) to the end that I may be grafted in.' Beautifully [put]! (Ideally [said]!; Well [conceived]!) In lack of faith or trust (or: By unbelief; Because of lack of allegiance) they are broken off (or: were broken out of the midst), yet you yourself stand in faith (or: by trust; with confidence). Stop being haughty (Don't constantly have high opinions; Do not continually think lofty things), but to the contrary, [be constantly having] an attitude and mindset of respectful awe (or: [Godly] fear; healthy respect)! For you see, since (or: if) God spares not (or: was not thrifty with) the natural branches (the branches down from, or, in accord with, nature), neither will He continue sparing you!" (Rom. 11:19-21)
Haughty people are usually tasteless - and thus they are no longer "the salt of the earth." We have all experience the many manifestations of the "first man" (1 Cor. 15:47a - the "earthy" person, as contrasted to the "heavenly") that lives in the realm of his or her fallen, or estranged, ego. The person that is dead, in trespasses and failures (Eph. 2:1). The person who lives in the old realm "still continues giving strength into nothing (= still cannot provide seasoning), except being thrown outside..." Jesus said the same thing, but used a different metaphor, in Jn. 15:6,
"If anyone would (or: may) not continuously remain (dwell; abide; stay) within the midst of and in union with Me, he or she is cast outside, in the same way as the tender branch (or: like that twig). And thus, it (or: he/she) is caused to dry up and wither, and then they are constantly gathering (or: leading) them together ["synagogue-ing" them, or it, as in a bundle]. Later, they are normally throwing [p66 adds: them] into the fire - and it (or: he) is progressively kindled (repeatedly ignited; or: habitually lit and progressively burned)."
But, here, we need to recall Paul's insights concerning the broken-out branches, in Rom. 11:23b,
"God is able (capable; is constantly powerful) to graft them back in again."
And so,
"all [the branches] will progressively be delivered (rescued, saved, made whole and restored to their original position)"
- Rom. 11:26a (brackets mine) - for you see,
"The One continuously dragging out of danger and drawing to Himself (The Rescuer; The Deliverer) will repeatedly arrive and be present from out of Zion; He will continue turning irreverence away from [the branches]" (Rom. 11:26b, brackets mine).
14. "You folks, yourselves, exist being (are) the Light of the ordered System (the world of culture, religion, politics, government, and secular society; = the human sociological realm; or: the aggregate of humanity). A city located up on a mountain (or: situated on top of a mountain range) continues unable to be hidden or concealed.
This is Hebrew parallelism. Verse 14a explains vs. 13a. His listeners had been "those sheep having been destroyed, the ones that belong to [the] house of Israel" (Mat. 15:24), but were now connected to the Vine (Jn. 15:1ff). And what had God said, concerning Israel?
"You see, thus has the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh] inwardly directed to (set a goal for) us: 'I have placed (or: set) you unto [being] a light of nations (ethnic multitudes; non-Jews), [in order for] you to be [placed] into the midst of a deliverance (a rescue and a return to health and wholeness; a restoring to the original state of being and condition) as far as [the] last [point] of the earth!'" (Acts 13:47; [Isa. 49:6]; cf Isa. 60:1-3)
They were joined to Jesus, who is
"the Light of this ordered world (or: of the aggregate of humanity; for the System of domination; of the cultural, political, and religious arrangements; from the cosmos)" - Jn. 8:12.
We find this "city" located on Mt. Zion, in Heb. 12:22ff,
"You folks have approached so that you are now at Mount Zion - even in a city of a continuously living God; in ‘Jerusalem upon heaven' [cf Heb. 11:16]."
This is where they were, and where we now are, with Jesus (Heb. 12:24), and this was shown in visionary symbology to John, in Rev. 21:10,
"Next he carried (or: carries) me away, in spirit (or: in the midst of a Breath-effect), upon a great and HIGH MOUNTAIN, and showed (points out to) me the set-apart (or: holy; sacred) CITY, Jerusalem, progressively (or: habitually; or: presently) descending out of the atmosphere (or: heaven), from God."
Now just before this (21:9b) the agent told John that he would show him "the Bride, the Wife of the little Lamb" - i.e., people - figuratively portrayed as a city. In this same chapter we find the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on the city's gates (vs. 12) and in vs. 14 we read:
"Also, the wall of the City continues having twelve foundations, and upon them twelve names of the twelve emissaries (sent-forth folks; representatives) of, and from, the little Lamb."
So this city, the New Jerusalem, is a symbol for the combined People of God, made up of those from the old covenant and those from the new covenant - combined into One (cf Eph. 2:15, the results from the Peacemaker). Now in regard to the City's walls, Dan Kaplan has pointed us to Isa. 26:1,
"Behold, we have a strong city, and our salvation shall He set for walls and rampart." (CVOT)
This was repeated, in Isa. 60:18,
"You will call your walls, Salvation."
Then Dan connected this to Isa. 12:2,
"God is my Salvation..."
It is God's presence within us (Rev. 21:22) that is our Defense and keeps us Safe. Then this city is tied to vs. 14, above, in its further description in Rev. 21:23-26,
Jonathan
To be continued...
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