Canonical Reading Plan for Oct 3, Mt 5-6

Today's readings are Mt 5-6.

As Malachi ended, we read the prophecy of the coming Messiah. There were neither prophecies nor prophets in Israel for four hundred years following the time of Malachi. Out of that silence, emerged John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was a herald of the Messiah, proclaiming His arrival and the end of the era of the prophets.

Now, the Messiah has revealed Himself and begins His ministry. Only, He is not just the Messiah, He is God incarnate, the word has become flesh and is dwelling among His people. Israel is not only blessed with a redeemer, but with God in person. What will their reaction be?

At first, it seems things go well (Mt 4:23-5:1), even though His herald has been imprisoned. As the gospel narrative unfolds, we’ll see that the Baptist’s incarceration is an ill omen of what is to come. If they are going to throw the last of the prophets in prison what will they do to the one he proclaims?

Christ delivers the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 5-7. It is the greatest sermon in the Bible, the greatest sermon of all time.

Each paragraph is a block in the foundation for Christ's ministry, each a reflection, in some manner, of His character and nature. Jesus is laying the groundwork for what He has come to do and what His ministry means in these three chapters.

When reading the Beatitudes (Mt 5:2-7), rather than seeing them as different types or groups of people that are to be blessed, we can learn more by looking at them as the attributes of Christ, meant to become manifest in each believer. With that premise set in these six verses, Jesus will then expand upon each of them, setting the tone and standards for the how we are to live out the gospel and be His witnesses. This entire, phenomenal sermon is based on the opening statements, the Beatitudes.

The expansion begins in in Mt 5:13-17 where we see that we, as believers, are to be living evidence of Christ on earth, giving glory to God in our behavior and how we live.

Mt 5:17-20 tells us that the Law is fulfilled in Christ. This is frequently misinterpreted as saying the law has been abolished and no longer applies to believers. Mt 5:18 succinctly says that the law is not abrogated by the arrival of Christ; there is still the demand for perfect righteousness. That level of righteousness can only be found in Christ. So, the lesson of the law in vs 17-20 must be coupled with the one of how we live in vs 13-17. Our desire for the righteousness described in 17-20 should be on display in our behavior and our abhorrence of sin.

This desire for righteousness should temper any anger or contempt we have for others (Mt 5:21-26). Likewise, lustful tendencies to satisfy ourselves should be replaced with a desire to please God in how we live (Mt 5:27-30. This extends to the marriage relationship (Mt 5:31-32) which is intended to be a portrayal of Christ’s faithfulness to the church (Eph 5:20-33). Christ is the standard for any oath or vow we may utter (Mt 5:33-36), not our mother’s grave, the lives of our children or even “all that is in me or my heart.” Because we are being molded into His image, believers should not retaliate when attacked (Mt 5:38-39). They are to be chained neither to their pride nor their possessions (Mt 5:40-41) but yoked fully and without reservation to Christ. This attitude will show in how they approach their enemies (Mt 5:43-48), loving them and praying for them rather than allowing conflict to rule over how we interact with them.

None of this behavior is to be the object of pride or self-admiration (Mt 6:1-4). We are to live in this manner to bring glory to God and be living evidence of His presence among His people.

Because of this new mindset, our prayers are to be God-centric, not self-focused (Mt 6:5-15), exalting God (Mt 6:9), asking that His kingdom become manifest in our lives (Mt 6:10), trusting God for our daily needs (Mt 6:11) and repenting from our daily sin as well (Mt 6:12). We are to pray that God’s Spirit will lead us away from temptation and deliver us from evil when we stumble (Mt 6:13).

We will be forgiven from our daily sins, but only to the extent that we are forgiving of those who sin against us (Mt 6:14-15). As believers, our lack of forgiveness does not condemn us to hell (Ro 8:1). But, as we’ve seen in the history of Israel, while they remained His children, their sin separated them from His fullest blessing, provision and protection. Similarly, our daily sin, even though we are saved, will prevent us from walking in the fullness of His blessing.

All we do, including our service, sacrifice and devotion to our Father, should reflect the grace and blessing we have received (Mt 6:16-24). We should always be heavenly minded, keeping our eyes on our eternal home rather than being distracted by temporal circumstances (Mt 6:25-34).