Matthew 5,6,7

January 3, 2011

Matthew 5,6,7

Overview:  The Sermon On the Mount.

How exhilirating to read the Sermon on the Mount all at once.  Reading through all three chapters I began to question in my mind how often we take a piece or a phrase and set them apart.  Two things that caught my attention as I thought about this passage in this larger way. 
The first picks up on the image of light and darkness and on the eye.  There are wonderful individuals statements/teachings which touch on the subject of light or darkness and/or on the eye, but the effect is enhanced when taken together. 
5:14  "You are the light of the world."
5:29  "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out..."
6:1  "Beware of praciticing your piety before others in order to be seen by them."
6:22,23  "The eye is the lamp of the body.  So if your eye is healthy your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy your whole body will be full of darkness."
7:3  "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?"
Again each verse is a treasure, but seeing the themes of light and darkness along with the theme of sight (what we see, how we want to be seen, how we process what we see and what we see others doing) becomes all the richer when taken together.
Beyond this I am struck by the teaching of the Lord's Prayer in 6:9-15, in light of our earlier reading from Matthew 4 regarding Jesus' temptations in the wilderness. 
"Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts,
as we have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one."
There is specific mention of temptation and the tempter towards the end - is Jesus working with this memory vivid in his mind as he instructs?  The first tempation dealt with turning stones to bread - here in the prayer is a specific mention of asking God for bread, a reminder that our sustenance is from God.  The third temptation dealt with Jesus being called on to worship the tempter and Jesus responding that we are instructed to worship God alone - here at the very beginning of this prayer is the up front reminder of God's place - in heaven and God's status - hallowed.
Finally, of the many great verses here, I'll close today with two of my favorites from here or anwhere in Scripture, Matthew 6:33,34. 
"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today's trouble is enough for today."