Passing-Thought

Matthew 5:1-2 - Mounting evidence for the supreme authority of Jesus

Setting the stage for the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chooses language for his narrative that provides clues for recognizing the royal-prophetic-divine authority of Jesus.

5:1-2 (Dynamic equivalency) Taking notice of his many afflicted followers, Jesus begins his covenantal teaching to train his disciples under his divine-royal authority.

5:1a "Seeing the crowds"
ALTERNATIVE: "Taking concern for the crowds..."

In the OT often when God "sees" his people under affliction/oppression, he is taking charge to save them, to show mercy and compassion (Exodus 2:25).

Matthew 9:35-36 follows the same two-part pattern as Matthew 4:23-5:2 -- (1) Jesus travels throughout regions preaching/teaching/healing...(2) He "sees" the crowds following him and shows compassion to them by training, teaching, and employing his disciples under his service.

So, in Matthew 9:36-36:
(1) "And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. (2) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..." (Compare also to Matthew 14:14ff, 15:29ff.)

The parallel passage helps to underscore Jesus' sermon on the mount as an act of God's saving justice:"like sheep without a shepherd" is a quote from Numbers 27:17, where God choses to transfer leadership from Moses to Joshua . Thus, Jesus "Joshua" is the new shepherd (after Moses) to lead renewed Isreal (represented here by the twelve disciples, and the crowds by extension) into the promised inheritance. Jesus is also the new-David, the the final king after God's own heart to shepherd his people.

5:1b-1d "he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him."
ALTERNATIVE: "Jesus ascended the mountain. After he sat down in order to train his disciples, they came..."

"Jesus ascended the mountain"
The point here of the ascension on the mountain is to draw out and rightly elevate Jesus' supreme authority, who is the Prophet greater than Moses and subsequently the scribes/pharisees who claim to be faithful disciples of Moses. The closing narrative of the sermon (Matthew 7:28-29) functions as an inclusio in this regard: "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."

The way Matthew describes the setting of the sermon of alludes to the giving of the Law in Mt. Sinai. Moses ascends the mountain to receive God's covenant. The people (multitude) remained at the bottom, and the elders (like Jesus' disciples) ascend with Moses (Ex 24:1 -- the elders, however, must worship from afar). The surprising twist of course, is that Jesus is not only like Moses in his ascension, but like Yahweh the King himself speaking the covenant. The shere shock of the people afterwards evidences the divine power of his teaching, not too unlike the trembling people experienced hearing God speak to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

This allusion to Moses and Sinai, in my mind, gives preference to translating the Greek word "oros" as "mountain" rather than "hill". It is important to draw out that the sermon on the mount is not simply a teaching, but a *covenant* proclamation, binding over those who are being instructed with promised blessings (and cursings).

Luke's account, in my opinion, makes the same allusion between Moses and Jesus, but from a different perspective (ie. Moses coming down the mountain). Most attempts to find a "common ground" between Luke and Matthew tend to skew this shared theological connection (albeit portrayed from different angles).

The "mountain" also carries royal-divine significance in biblical theology. The mountain of God's chosing represents a physico-spiritual bridge between God and man. Mount Zion is the location of David's throne and the temple, the center of worship. Likewise, after Jesus' ascends into heaven (true Zion), he sits upon the throne of David at God's right hand. Jesus is transfigured on a mountain (Matthew 17:1); He is tempted on a mountain concerning the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8), and after his resurrection, the Son of God chooses a mountain to inaugurate his fulfillment of the royal messianic expectations of Psalm 2 (Matthew 28:16ff).

Jesus prophecies of his death in terms of ascension: "We're going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they shall condemn him to death..." (Matthew 20:18ff). When Jesus is mocked as the King of the Jews on the cross, he is commanded to "come down" from the cross. (27:40, 42).

"he sat down"
In Jesus' society, the synogogue teacher would sit to teach. In our society, "to teach" sounds too weak to describe how a sermon functions for discipleship. Discipleship is about engendering thought, behavior, and character for a community and its members represent and honor their master-teacher. It is closer to military training than public education, and involves a lasting commitment between teacher and students. It is teaching with abiding authority and mutual responsibility[1].

The posture of sitting describes not only teaching authority, but when combined with ascension language, it connotes kingly-judicial authority. Jesus' sitting down on the mountain shows a higher authority than the seat of Moses in the synogogue (Matthew 23:2). In answering the messianic expectations of the mother of the sons of Zebedee (upon hearing about his ascension to Jerusalem 20:18ff)), Jesus alludes to his cross as the throne where God will choose to make one sit upon his right hand and left hand. In fulfillment, the two robbers are said to be crucified "one on his right and one on his left" (Matthew 27:38) (cf. Jesus and the Victory of God, N.T. Wright).

After Jesus is raised, he ascends to heaven to sit down at the right hand of God (Acts 2:20, Eph 1:20), he receives authority over all other authorities. He not only has the authority to teach about God's justice, but his teaching is a demonstration of God's saving justice. His very words practice what they preach.

Jesus' teaching is also an exercise in sharing his authority. He is a king training his vicegerents to engage a spiritual combat and leading them in His victory, so that they might be prepared to carry forth his saving justice and so multiply his loyal subjects in number and allegiance. (Unfortunately, the posture of a leader sitting down in our culture might suggest being "casual" about something, or not wanting to speak up.)

SUMMARY: The setting of the sermon on the mount provides clues, mounting evidence towards the calling and the supreme royal authority that Jesus fully receives from his Father in his resurrection and ascension. Matthew's gospel reminds us that He is still with us until the end of the age; He is preaching his sermon to all the nations from heaven through his chosen discipleship leaders (Matthew 28:16ff).

5:2 "And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying"
ALTERNATIVE1: "Then he taught them with supreme authority declaring"
ALTERNATIVE2: "Then he bound them by his teaching saying"

"to open the mouth"
This phrase is often (if not usually) employed for messages intended to carry binding authority, judicial weight or special wisdom:

* God "opens the mouth" of a prophet to declare His words (Exod 4:12, 15; Num 22:28; Ez 3:27)
* The mouth is opened to teach Torah to those without understanding (Matthew 13:35/ Psa 77:2; Psalm 51:15)
* To slander or make false witness or accusation (Ps 22:13, Ps 109:2)
* Speaking out (in court) for the rights of those who cannot defend themselves (Pro 31:8,9)
* To be silent during unfair treatment when one could raise a judicial complaint (Ps 38:13; Isa 53:7)
* Others: vow to God (Jud 11:35), cursing (Job 3:1), making a defense (Job 33:2).

SUMMARY: Jesus' message carries binding, covenantal authority.