51 – Sermon on the Mount Part 2; Matthew 5:13-20

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not [d]the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches [e]others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever [f]keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Footnotes

a. Matthew 5:13 Lit will

b. Matthew 5:14 Or mountain

c. Matthew 5:15 Or peck-measure

d. Matthew 5:18 Lit one iota (Heb yodh) or one projection of a letter (serif)

e. Matthew 5:19 Gr anthropoi

f. Matthew 5:19 Lit does

Commentary

I chose to make this passage into its own study because there is no passage in Luke 6 that mirrors the content. There are a few different themes in it, so I’ll try to take a look at them one-by-one. Contrary to my stated objective last week, this week’s passage doesn’t have too much to study historically or culturally, so I will try to break down the metaphors.

Salt

What is the relevance of the metaphor of salt to the Christian lifestyle? “The salt adds flavoring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness and heals wounds” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1178). The Christian is called to influence his community in more ways than converting others to faith (although that is the objective of these other areas of ministry). “One of the most powerful arenas for influence is the workplace, particularly jobs that affect values, laws, and public opinion. That’s why believers need to pursue careers in education, government, and journalism, among many others. They may not be able to transform the entire society, but they can use whatever influence they have to promote Christlike values and hinder evil” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1632).

To carry on the metaphor, if salt loses its taste, it becomes ineffective at its purpose. How might a Christian become ineffective? His testimony becomes compromised by hypocritical behavior, or he loses his passion to share the good news, at which point the witness he claims is reviled and trampled by men. Jesus says this condition may be irretrievable (how can it be made salty again), once the Christian has lost the trust and respect of those around him through hypocrisy.

Light

Likewise, if the Christian truly believes eternal life hangs in the balance for the hearer, he will be compelled to share the message at all times because if he does not, who will be persuaded that he really believes it? This is the relevance of the light metaphor. A candle is wasted under a basket, and the light of a city at night can’t be hidden. “God provides the light and it continues to shine, but as believers we must keep our lives clean before the Lord in order not to cover up the light which He has placed within us. Darkness is the absence of light and darkness alone cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1176).

The Law

When Jesus refers to the smallest letter or mark of the law, “He explained that even the smallest statement in the law must be fulfilled. [The] smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet [is] called yodh. It functions as a ‘Y’ in English and looks similar to an apostrophe. A tittle [or serif or mark] is a small projection on the edge of certain Hebrew letters to distinguish them from one another. For example, the Hebrew ‘D’ differs from the ‘R’ only by the use of the tittle” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pf. 1177). These markings may seem so small as to be insignificant, but they each have an impact on the content of the text. In the same way, each guideline in the law serves its purpose in preserving the whole.

Righteousness

Throughout this study, there have been a few passages I have come across that make me feel as though I’m doing things all wrong. This is one of them. I don’t follow every serif of Jewish law, and I’ve almost certainly expressed to others that I don’t think it’s necessary. Jesus taught, not liberty from the law, but an extension of the law from mere actions to the spirit. Just as Jesus’s miracles (actions) proved His deity (spirit) to unbelievers who came to see Him, so our observance of the law (actions) are an overflow or proof of our spirit to those around us. Thankfully, Jesus tells the crowd that those who do not observe every tittle of the law will be the least in the kingdom – at least they’re still in the kingdom! However, He also goes on to say “that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The Pharisees were regarded as the most righteous of all men at the time (even though they took ethical liberties and plotted sinister schemes), so being more righteous than them could only mean committing beyond observance of the law to the spirit of the law, and further: accepting the grace offered by the life and death of Jesus.

This is a really challenging concept. There is grace for sin, but you still have to make every effort to keep yourself totally pure. Jesus often refers to specific sins or lack of righteousness that will keep people from the kingdom of Heaven, but He also says He is the way, the truth, and the life and no man comes to the Father except through Him. Paul summed it up in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” He prepared us for good works, but we are saved by faith.

See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2020/03/06/sermon-on-the-mount-part-3/

Scripture References

Matthew 5:13

Job 6:6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg?

Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Luke 14:34 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?

Hebrews 10:29 How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Matthew 5:14

Proverbs 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.

John 8:12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 9:5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 12:36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.

Philippians 2:15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

Revelation 1:20 This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Revelation 2:5 Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Matthew 5:15

Zechariah 4:2 “What do you see?” he asked. “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to each of the lamps.

Mark 4:21 Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp so he can place it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a lampstand?

Luke 8:16 No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a lampstand, so those who enter can see the light.

Luke 11:33 No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or under a basket. Instead, he sets it on a lampstand, so those who enter can see the light.

Luke 11:36 So if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining on you.”

Philippians 2:15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

Hebrews 9:2 A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.

 

Revelation 2:5

Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Matthew 5:16

Matthew 9:8 When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

John 15:8 This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.

1 Peter 2:12 Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

Matthew 5:17

Matthew 7:12 In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the prophets.

Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the Law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the Law.

Matthew 5:18

Psalm 111:8 They are upheld forever and ever, enacted in truth and uprightness.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 44:26 who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins,’

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Luke 16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Matthew 5:19

Matthew 11:11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

James 2:10 Whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.

Matthew 5:20

Matthew 16:12 Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men–swindlers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector.

Luke 18:12 I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I receive.’

2 Corinthians 3:9 For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!