The Sermon on the Mount
Part 8
(Mat. 5:46-48)
By Jonathan Mitchell
46. "You see, if you should happen to love, accept, give yourself to, and participate with the ones constantly loving you folks, what wage or reward do you continue holding (or: having)? Are not also the tax collectors constantly doing the very same thing?
[note: tax collectors worked for the state (for either one of the provinces, or for the Empire) and were thus despised and considered outcasts of the local society, being perceived as both collaborating with the Romans and as getting money dishonestly through their business AS a "tax-farmer," (someone who purchased from the state the right to collect official taxes, tolls, customs and dues: they made their money by adding on a percentage to the tax which they collected for the state), or by working FOR a "tax-farmer"]
This verse builds upon, and amplifies, vss. 44 and 45, above, then this explanation continues in vs. 47, leading to the climactic conclusion in vs. 48. Jesus expands their thinking beyond "me and mine" into "we and ours." He is moving Israel from exclusivism, and taking their worldview to the place of including the ethnic multitudes (the non-Jews, the Gentiles) as being a part of God's people. Paul will connect the dots and color in the picture of this new arrangement (between God and humans), in Eph. 2:10-22. There we find described what Paul referred to as "a new creation," in 2 Cor. 5:17.
Luke's version of this verse compares those loving only one's own group with
"the outcasts (folks who by lifestyle or trade are habitually ceremonially unclean or repeatedly break the Law; people who constantly fail to hit the target, fall short of the goal, or make mistakes; sinners)" (Lu. 6:32b),
instead of with "the tax collectors," here, in vs. 46. Verse, 47, below, extends these two categories to "the ethnic multitudes (the nations; the pagans; the non-Israelites),which is the category of people to which He was leading, in His reasoning. The Blueprint included
"the boards and the bars" (Ex. 26:15-30)
that would be used to construct the walls of the tabernacle, but they were only a part of the completed structure. Israel was chosen to be constructed "according to the pattern (blueprint)," but it was only a type, a model, for the "heavenly Temple" that was made up of all the ethnic multitudes throughout the whole earth. Paul was speaking to a predominately Gentile community, when he said,
"For you see, we ourselves [other MSS: you folks] continuously exist being (indeed we/you are) a temple of [the] living God, just as God said, ‘I will proceed to make My home and will continue walking about within and among them (or: I will habitually reside {dwell}, as in a house, and live My life within and among them)...'" (2 Cor. 6:16b). Cf 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Lev. 26:12
Consider the inclusiveness of Rev. 21:3,
"God's tent (the Tabernacle of God) [is] with mankind (the humans), 'and He will continue living in a tent (dwell in a Tabernacle) with them, and they will continue being (will constantly exist being) His peoples..."
Sadly, in the centuries that followed, the vast majority of Christian groups turned the teachings of the New Testament into a religion of exclusivism, and their traditions made the teachings of Jesus, Paul and John to be of no effect.(Mk. 7:13).
47. "And further, if you folks should only greet and welcomely embrace your brothers (those from the same womb), what are you continuing to do [that is] excessive or extraordinary? Are not also the folks of the ethnic multitudes (the nations; the pagans; the non-Israelites) constantly doing the very same thing?
To "greet and welcomely embrace" speaks of intimate acceptance. It is the opposite of "hating one's enemies" or "evaluating them as not joined to oneself or to one's group." Jesus is critiquing the social and religious practices of Second Temple Judaism, saying that their preferential, non-accepting behavior put them in the same category as the ethnic multitudes (the non-Jewish people groups). They were living exactly like the Gentiles, welcoming those of their own class or group, while distancing themselves from foreigners or strangers. Christianity has very often done the same thing. Outsiders are considered to be sup-par, amoral, etc., depending on the particular variety of the Christian religion. Jesus was, by this critique, drawing them to an inclusive attitude and behavior - just as we see demonstrated in our heavenly Father (vs. 45, the previous post).
48. "Therefore, you folks will continuously exist being ones that have reached the purposed and destined goal: finished, undivided and completed ones; mature, entire, fully developed and perfected ones - in the same way as your heavenly Father (or: your Father which has the qualities of, and is characterized by, the atmosphere) constantly exists being One that is the goal and destiny: finished, undivided, complete, mature, entire, perfect!
The opening word, "Therefore," is saying "because of all that I have just said." Now Jesus knew that, apart from God making a change within all of His audience, no one would be able to be what follows, after the "therefore." The common versions incorrectly translate this verse, making it a commandment. It is not a commandment, it is a promise. The verb is not in the imperative voice, but is in the indicative. It is in the future tense, and thus is a promise, a pronouncement of what they will continue being:
"you folks will continuously exist being ones that have reached the purposed and destined goal."
Furthermore, it is the verb, "to be; to exist," and thus speaks of the condition of their future existence. It does not speak about how they will behave or what they will do. You see, what Jesus describes in this verse is "the new creation," or as Paul Tillich termed it, "the new being."
They will exist within Christ as a branch is within a Vine. They will come to the realization that,
"within Him was created the whole (or: in union with Him everything is founded and settled, is built and planted, is brought into being, is produced and established; or: within the midst of Him all things were brought from chaos into order) - the things within the skies and atmospheres, and the things upon the earth (or: those [situations, conditions and/or people] in the heavens and on the land); the visible things, and the unseen (or: unable to be seen; invisible) things: whether thrones (seats of power) or lordships (ownership systems) or governments (rulers; leadership systems; sovereignties) or authorities - the whole has been created and all things continue founded, put in order and stand framed through means of Him, and [proceeds, or were placed] into Him (or: = He is the agent and goal of all creation)" (Col. 1:17).
The predicate of this intransitive verb of being speaks of something that is finished (as a building or anything made comes to be finished). It speaks of that which has "reached the purposed and destined goal." In this case, it would mean that Christ's body would be the image and likeness of God. Paul describes this condition, in Col. 2:10a,
"You folks, being ones having been filled up (or: made full and complete), are (or: exist) continuously within, and in union with, Him."
You see, the destined goal is to be
"finished, undivided and completed ones; mature, entire, fully developed and perfected ones."
But Jesus added a qualifier to this, saying,
"in the same way as your heavenly Father constantly exists being."
We find this state of being described in Eph. 4:13, 15-16,
or: the lack of division which has its source in trust, confidence and reliability, has the character of and is in reference to the loyalty and fidelity), even which is the full, experiential and intimate knowledge
(or: and from recognition; and of discovery; as well as pertaining to insight) which is
(or: of; from; in reference to) the Son of God, [growing] into [the] purposed and destined adult man (complete, finished, full-grown, perfect, goal-attained, mature manhood; [= "last, or eschatos, Adam-hood]) - into (or: unto) [the] measure of [the] stature (full age; prime of life) of the entire content which comprises the Anointed One.... within, and in union with, Love
(or: centered in unambiguous acceptance; a full giving of ourselves with an urge toward union), we can grow up (enlarge; increase) into Him - the ALL which is the Head: Christ
(or: [and] we would in love make all things grow up into Him Who is the head and source: [the] Anointed One)! - from out of Whom (or: out from the midst of Which) all the Body (or: the entire body), from the Blueprint being continuously fitted and framed together (made a common, suitable joint by a Word; laid out and dovetailed-together) and constantly being knit together and caused to mount up united through every fastening (or: joint) of the supply of rich furnishings
(or: through every assimilation of the full supply of funds; through every kindling touch of the completely supplied requirements) in accord with (or: down from; commensurate to; in the sphere and to the degree of) the operation (effectual energy) within [the] measure of each one part [other MSS: member], is itself continually making (or: is for itself progressively producing and forming) the growth and increase of the Body, [focused on and leading] into house-construction (or: unto building [up] and edification) of itself within the midst of, and in union with, Love (full self-giving in an unambiguous urge toward union or reunion; acceptance)."
We also have another description of what vs. 48, above, looks like, in Eph. 5:1-2,
"Keep on becoming (or: Progressively come to be), then, imitators (those made exactly alike so as to portray, express and represent by means of imitation) of God, as beloved (or: like loveable) children, and so, keep on walking (walking around; = progressively living and maintaining your life) within, and in union with, Love (self-giving acceptance and the urge for union), according as the Christ also loves..." Cf Col. 1:28b.
To be continued...
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