In this episode of the Rediscovering God series we continue in the Sermon on the Mount and discuss what it means for us to be salt and light. Then we discover how Adventism has misunderstood and misapplied Jesus statement about fulfilling the law and learn what Jesus was doing was referring to the prophecies of the Old Testament and how the had fulfilled them which would give his following teaching credibility. It in fact is not a statement about the importance of the ten commandment law as is usually the interpretation of this statement by Jesus.
SHOW NOTES
Matthew 5:13-6:34 NIV
The Sermon on the Mountain continued.
Poor in Spirit, mourn, humble, hunger for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peace makers, persecuted.
B. Citizens of the Kingdom bring Joy to People and Honour to God
1. Salt and Light
2. The Fulfilment of the Law
C. Jesus’ 11 teachings which supersede Moses’ teachings
1. Anger
2. Lust
3. Divorce
4. Vows
5. Revenge
6. Love for Enemies
7. Generosity (6:1-4)
8. Prayer (6:5-15)
9. Fasting (6:16-18)
10. Money and possessions (6:19-24)
11. Worry (6:25-34)
D. Jesus’ Wisdom Sayings
Do not Judge others (7:1-5}
Pearls to pigs (7:6)
Effective prayer (7:7-11)
The Golden Rule (7:12)
Be Decisive (7:13-14)
A Tree and its Fruit (7:15-20)
True Disciples (7:21-23)
The Solid Foundation (7:24-27)
B. Citizens of the Kingdom bring Honour to God
Jesus now employs two well-known commodities, salt and light, to illustrate the effect of the Kingdom of Heaven in the Kingdom of this World. Jewish listeners would have assumed Jesus was bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to them. Jesus will with salt and light announce that his Kingdom is for the world. Jesus explains what it means to be salt and light at the end of this chapter. Here he describes God is such an unbelievable way that he will be regarded as demon possessed and so he authenticates himself from the OT Messianic prophecies. Jesus us the sun with all other prophets forming the moon, planets and the stars.
“As a breath of fresh air, he (Jesus) once and for all discards the bloody, vindictive view of a God of pain and punishment, seen in the primitive cultures of the Old Testament. He replaces it with an enlightened, hope-filled, and loving future.” Carsten Thompsen, “Have we made the Bible too Holy?”, Adventist Today, 20 August 2024
1. Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
The word “salary” comes from salarium which is Latin for salt. Roman soldiers were paid in salt because it was a valuable commodity in Jesus’ day. To say that we are the salt of the earth means at least that we are valuable and that we preserve and make the world a tastier place to live in. To lose our saltiness is to lose our value and flavour for the Kingdom of God.
Many great philanthropists, and developmental and relief organizations come from what were once Christian nations. Modern science has its origins in Christian nations because the love of God gave men and women the courage to explore and examine the world God had made for them. What happened was that men and women wanted to understand God’s creation and were no longer satisfied with circular reasoning and word salads. Newton moved us from defining gravity as an imaginary vortex that pushed everything towards the earth to the force which attracted other bodies even far away. Newton could calculate the effect of the force. It was revolutionary. Harvey demonstrated that the heart was not creating blood but pumping blood.
Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven are called to be leaders in generosity and compassion and innovation for those around them. Christians are needed in all walks of public life to add flavour and value. Jesus Christ did this for the marginalized and the ill, he did it for the rich and powerful and it is our calling too. Christians are children of the great Creator of the Universe, and we were given dominion through Adam to care for the Creation. It is still our responsibility. One way we do this is to notice the best in others and affirm them for the value they bring to society.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Humans are attracted to light, especially coloured light. Literally the light of God removed darkness during creation week. Jesus brought light or sight to the physically blind. As light was first of God’s creation so it is the first of the Spirit’s creation in the human heart. Symbolically the light of God removes the darkness of fear and chaos believers. He is still doing this for the spiritually blind.
Walking in the dark is dangerous compared to walking in the light. In the dark we walk into all sorts of dangers without knowing about them ahead of time. This is why the dark is a cause of fear. Light is inviting and stimulating. This is especially true if the light is vibrant and colourful.Light gives insight into the world around us. It makes for understanding and security. When Jesus claims he is the light of the world it is because he reveals the truth about God which sets us free from the fear generated by misunderstanding the character of God.
When we speak well of God, we work with the Spirit to bring light into this world dark with deceit and violence (John 8:44). This is what it means to let our light shine.
2. The Fulfilment of the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Jesus is referring to the Messianic prophecies in the Law and the Prophets. This is confirmed by using the verbs “fulfil” and “accomplished.” Law is obeyed, not fulfilled or accomplished. He came and fulfilled all the OT predictions about himself as he explained to the two discouraged disciples on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13-34).
Some claim there are 351 Messianic prophecies. Mathematician Peter Stoner concluded that the chance of a single man fulfilling 48 of the prophecies found in the Old Testament would be one in 10157 or 10 followed by 157 zeros. Jan 31, 2015. https://www.newtestamentchristians.com
Jesus often appealed to the OT to authenticate himself. To suggest these verses, refer to Jesus’ obedience to law is to fail to understand that love always supersedes the law. Jesus operated from the platform of dlove rather than the demands of the law. All law can do is reveal sin (Romans 3:20). It is love that conceives light and life.
19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Is Jesus referring to the laws given by Moses or the principles he was laying down in his teaching? It can only be the latter as he corrects the Mosaic injunctions six times by saying “You have heard, but I say.” Jesus also says the following,
John 5:24 NLT “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
This confirms that Jesus was referring to his teachings since the Pharisees scrupulously obeyed the laws written down by Moses. More specifically Jesus is referring to the central focus of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:38-48. There is simply no other teacher who taught the injunctions Jesus lays down in these verses. It is a breathtaking, unbelievable picture of God and the Kingdom of Heaven which Jesus paints. At the heart of Jesus description is unconditional love for friend and foe.
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