2/1:Testations part 2/ Sermon on the Mount part 1

what do you remember about this story?

1)Testations continued
We watched the video and /had the discussion about it covered in Monday's post HERE.
On the midterm (Mar 4) these two questions will be included. Answers come from today's video:

-Where else in Jesus' life and/or in the Gospel of Matthew was he revisited with a  remixed version
of one of the testations he originally experienced in the wilderness (Matt 4)?
Answers: see Monday's post


-How do the testations Jesus experienced in Matt  relate to the temptations of Israel in the Old Testament?
Answers:-
-Each temptation has an echo and hyperlink to Deuteronomy 6, 8
-Note that the devil omitted part of the promise of Psalm 91 when quoting it
- Jesus the Son of God succeeded and passed the test, while Israel the Son of God didn't.
More: see Monday's post and the study guide linked there.

We also noted from the video, several new answers to the "Who is Jesus" question:
-New Moses
-New Israel
-New Adam
-Our Passover
-Firstborn Son
-Desert/Our Dessert.  On these last three ideas, see this vido excerpt:

From Monday's post

NOTES ON MATTHEW 3 from FPU profs Camp/Roberts:

Matthew transitions to Jesus’ adult ministry by introducing him at his baptism. Mt uses a common ancient literary device called syncresis, which means to make a judgment about something or someone by comparison. It is, in that sense, a simple comparison/contrast. There are 2 comparisons that are being made in chapter 3. One has to do with Jesus and John, the other with Jesus and the Pharisees/ Sadducees. The passage is structured in 3 sections. vv. 1-6 is a description of John and his message. John is presented as a fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah 40, where Israel is being called to return from exile. John is engaged in the same ministry as Isaiah, that of recalling the people. One might conclude that Mt is insinuating that while Israel returned from exile in they never fully returned to God. John’s appearance and location set him the liminal space of the wilderness, apart from Jerusalem society. He stands in the Jordan River, where Israel also would have crossed into the land as they returned. The place of baptism in the Jordan may draw the reader’s attention to the fresh start crossing the Jordan into the land represented for Israel.
 vv. 7-10 is a description of the Pharisees, Sadducees and others coming to John for baptism. John confronts them with a message of repentance that specifies the repentance must include acts of righteousness that demonstrate their repentance. The reference “God is able from these stones to raise up children of Abraham” may draw the readers attention to the 12 stones piled at the Jordan when Israel entered the land under Joshua’s leadership. The implication is that even stones can be made into children of Abraham. The difference is their acts have to reflect the righteousness characteristic of true repentance and change.

A brood of vipers refers to a hole in ground where snakes would lay eggs and cover them with dirt for incubation. The newly hatched snakes would remain in the ground undetected by those passing by. A misstep into such a nest could be fatal. The threat is unseen; the passerby thinks the ground is safe, but it is not.The reference to cutting down plants that do not bear fruit is a common analogy used throughout Matthew (for example 7:16-20, 13:24-30). vv 11-12 presents John comparing himself to “the one coming.”  The comparison is based on a greater than/ lesser than logic. John is lesser because he baptizes with water; the one coming is greater because he baptizes because he baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John is lesser because he is not worthy to carry the sandals of the one coming. John announces judgment, the one coming is actually able to bring judgment.

 vv 13-17 draws a comparison between Jesus and the Sadducees/ Phar and between J and John. Note the way that the Sadducees and Pharisees are greeted vs. how Jesus is greeted. (see worksheet) The comparison between Jesus and John involves John putting himself as the lesser in Jesus’ presence. Jesus’ enigmatic response allowing John to baptize him is said to “fulfill all righteousness.” How is this to be understood? Does Jesus need to be baptized in the same way others do? John’s is a baptism of repentance; is this what Jesus thinks he needs to do?
Repentance doesn’t only mean turning from inappropriate action, but also involves going in the direction you ought to be going. Jesus aligns himself with God’s purposes. The dynamics between John and Jesus would seem to indicate that part of God’s purpose is for J not to take the greater position but to place himself in the subservient position to John.  This is a crucial, initial assertion that we will see reiterated through Matthew’s gospel, which links righteousness to a reversal of power relationships, and Jesus being the faithful, humble servant. Immediately following this action, the divine voice announces affirmation of this action and of Jesus’ identity as beloved son. This is what is expected of the son.

NOTES ON MATTHEW 4 from FPU profs Camp/Roberts:

There are 3 temptations which parallel the groups with whom Jesus interacts in Matthew

Famished - provide food – crowds

Upon temple - protection - leaders

seize world - authority - disciples

What is it that each group expects, and how does Jesus meet that expectation, both here and later?  It is important that these are real temptations.  What would be the result of each if Jesus failed?  Tie in the expectation from Isaiah 53. What kind of Christ was expected? Will Jesus prove worthy (a true Son)?

The temptations represent and initial test, much like an academic pre-test. Jesus will be tested during his ministry on these same issues by the three groups.

First temptation..The temptation to satisfy physical needs is a very real and necessary temptation. The temptation account does not denigrate this need, but raises the question of what it means to be fully human. Rulers in the ancient world would often provide bread for people to keep them under control, while not treating them as fully human in other ways. Jesus’ response to Satan is that there is more to being human than meeting physical needs. It also includes being able to make choices about life, where one might need to defer gratification or make choices to the detriment of one’s physical well-being (i.e. selling possessions, death on a cross). Jesus does do miracle which do address real physical needs (food, healing). But he also challenges people in the crowds to go beyond equating physical, material well-being with being fully human.

The second temptation to leap from the temple has 2 components, The first is to draw attention to himself in the center of Jewish life, thereby gaining the approval of the temple leaders. The second aspect involves having the authority to call upon angels to protect him. The temptation is to use authority as a means to demonstrate one’s power and privilege. In Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, temple authorities, he is most frequently questioned about his authority to represent God, and is repeatedly asked to provide a sign demonstrating that authority. Jesus steadfastly refuses to do so. Jesus will not ‘force’ God to provide a sign of Jesus authority beyond the faithfulness Jesus himself demonstrates. The accusations at Jesus’ trial hinge on this question of authority.

The third temptation is to receive power without effort. It would entail bowing down to Satan. There is no equal exchange of goods, with Jesus receiving kingdoms in exchange for bowing to Satan. Rather, in the ancient world bowing down indicates a permanent subservient relationship. Satan is offering the kingdoms of the earth if Jesus will submit to Satan’s will and way of doing things. This temptation is linked to the disciples, who frequently are seeking greatness, seats of authority and power, exalted places in Jesus’ kingdom. They are confronted by Jesus about the true cost of gaining those positions.

2)Sermon on the Mount:

 Q.What does the  Matthew 1-7  have to do with OT story:  Moses and Pharoah ,slavery in Egypt, crossing Red Sea,  Wilderness Temptations, Ten Commandents etc?

A> Just about everything in these 7 chapters hyperlinks back.
Matthew seems patterned upon it.
Give some examples
1 Crossing Red  Sea/Baptism in Jordan (Jordan as symbol of barrier
2 Jesus and Moses were both in Egypt
3  In the OT, Israel is corporately called "SON" of God.  In NT, Jesus is the SON,
4
5

And the Ten Commndments connect to Sermon on the MOUNTain,

I f Jesus is a NEW MOSES of sorts,  on a new MOUNTAIN then we should look at

SERMON ON THE MOUNT...maybe as NEW COMANDMENTS..

Who was the sermon addressed to?
Why did Jesus sit down to teach?





When we read the "beatitudes," the first section of the Sermon on the Mount:
-- do you catch any inclusio? (Note the first and last beatitudes (only) of chapter 5 end
with a promise of the kingdom of heaven, implying that the other promises in between "being filled," "inherit the earth," "be comforted" all have to do with Kingdomness.)


 --Any chiasm  (seee this  and this)?
See 5:38-7:15 in this clip:



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How do you see the shift in the law?  Is Jesus making it harder? easier?  more interior?
Is he making it impossible on purpose?

See 5:17 as a GENERALIZATION and the rest of the chapter as 6 PARTICULARIZATIONS (symbol 6 below, see Monday's post)

Discussion on how Jesus was interpreting/reinterpreting the law of Moses/Torah(Matt 5:17-48).
Some would suggest that he is using the rabbi's technique of "Building a fence around the TORAH."

For example, if you are tempted to overeat, one strategy would be to build a literal fence around the refrigerator...or the equivalent: don't keep snacks around.

See:

What does building a fence around the Torah mean? 

Some wonder of this is what Jesus is doing here.  See:
Jesus' Antitheses - Could they be his attempt to build a fence around the Torah?

One can see how this could turn to legalism...and when do you stop building fences? See:

A Fence Around the Law

Greg Camp and Laura Roberts write:

In each of the  examples, Jesus begins by citing an existing commandment. His following statement may be translated as either "And I say to you... " or as "But I say to you ...” The first option shows Jesus' comments to be in keeping with the commandments, therefore his words will be an expansion or commentary on the law. This is good, standard rabbinic technique. He is offering his authoritative interpretation, or amplification, to God's torah, as rabbis would do after reading the torah aloud in the synagogue. The second translation puts Jesus in tension with the law, or at least with the contemporary interpretations that were being offered. Jesus is being established as an authoritative teacher who stands in the same rabbinic tradition of other rabbis, but is being portrayed as qualitatively superior to their legal reasoning.

After citing a law Jesus then proceeds to amplify, or "build a hedge" around the law. This was a common practice of commenting on how to put a law into practice or on how to take steps to avoid breaking the law. The idea was that if you built a safe wall of auxiliary laws around the central law, then you would have ample warning before you ever came close to breaking the central law. A modern example might be that if you were trying to diet you would need to exercise more and eat less. In order to make sure that that happened you might dispose of all fats and sweets in the house so as not to be tempted. Additionally, you might begin to carry other types of snacks or drink with you so as to have a substitute if temptation came around, and so forth. In the first example of not killing, Jesus builds a hedge that involves not being angry and not using certain types of language about others. One of the difficulties is that it becomes very difficult not to break his hedges. This might drive his hearers to believe that he is a hyper-Pharisee. Some interpreters have wanted to argue that Jesus does this in order to drive us to grace—except grace is never mentioned in this context. This is a wrong-headed approach to get out of the clear message that Jesus is proclaiming: you must have a transformed life. By building his hedges, Jesus is really getting to the heart of what the law was about. In the first example, the intent is not just to get people not to kill each other (though that is a good thing to avoid), rather it is there to promote a different attitude about how to live together. Taken together, the 10 Words (Commandments) and the other laws which follow in Exodus-Numbers paint a picture of a people who will look out for one another rather than just avoiding doing injury to one another. This becomes clear in Jesus’ solution at the end of the first example. The solution is not to throw  yourself on grace or to become paralyzed by fear, but to seek right relations with the other person. There seems to be an implicit acknowledgment that problems will arise. The solution is to seek the best for the other person and for the relationship. This is the heart of the law.  The problem with the law is that it can only keep you from sin, but it cannot make you do good.  The rabbi Hillel said “what is hateful to you, do not do to others.”  In 7:12, Jesus provides his own interpretation “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you.”  He changes the saying from refraining from sin, to actively doing good.  The thesis statement in 5:20 is “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” This then is how to exceed, or go beyond the law.  In each of the five examples, the way to exceed the law is to make the relationship right.

Instead of drawing a new line in the sand that you are not supposed to cross before you are considered guilty, Jesus, confirms that the center is "love your neighbor" and then just draws an arrow (vector) and tells you to go do it. There is never a point at which you are able to finally fulfill the commandment to love. You can never say that you have loved enough. In the gospel of Matthew, the supreme example of this is Jesus' own life and death. His obedience and love knew no boundaries.  --by Greg Camp and Laura Roberts




Ted Grimsrud, in "God's Healing Stragegy" suggests:

 "A better way [as opposed to legalistically egislating morality] to approach [the commandments] would be to ask first, 'What does this commandment teach us about God?'...Hence, the point of the commandments is not establishing absolute, impersonal, even coercive rules which must never be violated.  The point rather is that a loving God desires ongoing relationships of care and respect....Paul's interpretation of the Law in Romans 13 makes clear the deepest meaning of the law not as rule-following, but as being open to God's love and finding ways to express that love towards others: 'The commandments..are summed up in this word, Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  (pp. 33-34)

But it can get tricky living the elevated life, building fences around Law...If not prayerful/careful, one can become legalistic...Ever noticed the CHIASM Jesus uses to comment on the litmus test for law-keeping, the SABBATH?  "The Sabbath was made for humans,
                                   not humans for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27)...

I'll never forget taking the elevator from our towering Jerusalem hotel room down to the lobby for breakfast one  Saturday.

Not only could I not push the lobby button,

but the elevator stopped automatically on every floor.
I wondered if I would make it down for lunch.

When I ordered, I realized that the waitress was not writing down any orders;
even the most complicated ones.

Writing was "work" on the sabbath,
as was pushing elevator buttons.
Thus, the "sabbath elevator"

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OK,  below is the backstory of the "LAUGHING BRIDE,"  (remember here from last week) which illustrates "building a fence around the Torah":

How about my story: "Ever committed adultery, Bill?"

-Be  thinking for next time;

-Relationship between sin and temptation
-Do accidental or unintentional sins count?
-Think of any of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) that were not mentioned in the 6 case studies/particularizations above .  Then ask how they fit the pattern (MURDER/ANGER; ADULTERY/LUST etc.


-Be caught up on reading


Have answer to the question, and be prepared to defend it:

Which is the greater sin?

	To tell a lie?
	To lose your temper?

CONSIDER THIS ANSWER: (read pp 15-17 at that click)