Matthew 5:1-16

Remember that Jesus’ core message is “Repent, the commonwealth of the heavens is at hand.”

Do you want to know what the citizens of this commonwealth look like? Here’s a description…

Perhaps this list of qualities is Matthew’s version of the fruit of the Spirit. This is what people look like when their heart reflects the heart of God.

There is great irony in this statement. The people in Jesus’ day who were exalted were those who were rich and powerful. They were supposed to be the bright shining light. 

Not in Jesus’ economy. 

The ones who give flavor and preserve the commonwealth (salt) and who shine the light of truth to the world are the ones who society says are the lowest and should be hidden. The commonwealth of the heavens turns our kingdoms upside down.

In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus makes something very clear. He is not inventing something new. He is not trying to throw out the Law of Moses upon which the Jewish culture has been built. Rather, he is trying to remind the people that what he is teaching has always been the purpose of the Law of Moses. 

God does not care about an external, rigid adherence to a set of fixed rules in fear of punishment. Just the opposite. The words of promise given to Moses invite us to cultivate the heart of God that genuinely loves our neighbors from the overflow of God’s love for us. 

Matthew 5:21-48 gives a list of examples of how it is the heart that matters, not external behavior. God wants us to become mature, not robotic rule-followers.

When our religion becomes about external adherence to a fixed list of rules and clearly marking boundaries of who is “in” and who is “out” then our piety becomes something to be paraded in front of other to ensure our right standing with God.

This is not the way of Jesus.

In Matthew 6:1-34 Jesus instructs his disciples to practice their piety in secret. Again, this is not a rule, it is a value. The point here is that we are invited into an authentic relationship with God and with others that is not about putting on a show, but is about being a loving person.

We don’t have to worry. God loves us, no matter what.

In Matthew 7:1-12 Jesus gives specific examples of how to avoid the hypocrisy that so characterized the religious leaders of his day. Don’t judge others, because you’ve got enough junk of your own. Don’t waste time arguing with people who don’t really want to learn (throwing pearls before swine), Don’t be afraid to ask God, because God loves you and invites you to be in relationship.

Then, Jesus sums up all his teaching in one statment. “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.” 

Jesus highlights the importance of his teaching by offering four contrasts in Matthew 7:13-27. Each of these couplets highlights the kind of people whose heart reflects the heart of God and life in the commonwealth of the heavens with those who live for their own kingdom and seek to better themselves over the needs of others. 

The final contrast, about buildings, drives home the point that being a citizen of God’s commonwealth is  not about correct doctrine or orthodoxy; merely hearing Jesus’ words. It is about correct action or orthopraxis; actually living a life that reflects the heart of God’s love for neighbor.

Jesus blew the crowd away. They were amazed at what he taught and how he taught it. The crowds continued to follow him as he traveled around the country preaching and healing.