Chapter 5 “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Interpreting the ethical teaching of Jesus Everyone becomes like what he loves. Do you love the earth? You shall be the earth. Do you love God? Then I say, you shall be God. -St. Augustine

Interpreting the ethical teaching of Jesus - Each individual carries a unique image of Jesus in one’s heart yet no one image is complete - Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) contains the heart of Jesus’ ethical message, also called the summary of the gospel - This chapter examines Matthew’s intent in writing the gospel and what “Kingdom of God” means for Christian ethics

Interpreting Scripture Exegesis- study of scripture texts in their original context, analyzing language, historical content and religious traditions Hermeneutics- task of interpretation with reference to something else We use exegesis to understand the context in the gospel and hermeneutics to apply the findings of exegesis to understand the texts for our time

Matthew’s Gospel - Written in the city of Antioch (now Turkey) years after Jesus’ death - Primarily addresses a Jewish community concerned with the division between those who followed Jesus and those who saw him as subversive to the Jewish tradition - After the destruction of the temple, those who followed the Pharisees formed Judaism while those who followed Jesus became known as Christians - Matthew wanted to write Jesus’ traditions down so the community could continue to follow Jesus after his death - Matthew’s is the only gospel in which Jesus speaks of the church

Matthew’s Jesus- the ultimate teacher - Jesus remains with the disciples through the holy spirit - Matthew presents Jesus as an incomparable teacher Beginning of Gospel of Matthew: Jesus is linked to Abraham, father of Judaism and King David, out of whose house would become the Messiah End of Gospel of Matthew: Jesus rises instructing his disciples to teach the world about him. Jesus returns to God to be with us until the end of time Matthew’s Gospel portrays Jesus as one who brings the teachings of Moses to perfection

The Torah - Taught by Moses and is brought to its fullness by Jesus - Jesus is the law and the law is the love - Jesus is the fulfillment of the Torah, Jesus is the new Torah 5 Teachings of Jesus (Moses’ 5 teachings, 5 books of the Torah) 1. Genesis 2. Exodus 3. Leviticus 4. Numbers 5. Deuteronomy Matthew passes on authority that we and the church are instructed to pass on

Gospel: the “Good News” 3 stages: 1. Jesus’ Ministry, death and resurrection 2. Stories and sayings (oral tradition) 3. Written gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the “Q” to which Mark and Luke refer to

Matthew’s Church and the Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Also known as the Kingdom of God, is not a place but a symbol or metaphor for God A central image of Jesus’ message God is not distant but close at hand Jesus is someone in whom the kingdom has taken on flesh and bones Comes among us God’s liberating action Jesus brought it so close that people could almost taste it, those who were sick tasted the generosity of healing Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of God in human history The Church The people who follow the way of Jesus and accept the free gift of God’s salvation Those who gathered in the church are the “first fruits”, the beginning of the harvest Lives in the present time, what the full revelation of God will bring about The Ethics Jesus proclaims the fulfillment of the Torah, Jesus delivers the new Torah from the mountain of beatitudes Beatitudes- form of pronouncement, propose a good or happiness has already been given or is about to be received

The ethics of the Sermon on the Mount: the justice of the kingdom of God 1. Already in our midst but not yet fully revealed 2. “To be perfect as your heavenly father” (Matthew 5.48) 3. Makes us Righteous 4. Is an eschatological ethics 5. To be right with God is to be right with one another 6. Gospel Ethics

ALREADY IN OUR MIDST BUT NOT YET FULLY REVEALED - About the kingdom of God - What life is like when God enters a human scene - Life lived at the limits of human possibility - God’s intense desire to be part of our lives (Jesus)

BE PERFECT AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER - God-> Father (Abba) - Moral life only makes sense if we have a good relationship with Abba/Father - It is our vocation to become “children of the father” - Abba/Father has made us his sons and daughters - Heart of the sermon: love all, even your enemies

MAKES US RIGHTEOUS - Being upright, blameless or morally right - Act with justice - “To be put in the right way” - Christ’s life within us, the holy spirit, is what makes us right before Abba/Father - God sees his son who lives in us

IS AN ESCHATOLOGICAL ETHICS -”Pertaining to the end “ or “the fullness of the time” -The encounter with God in time makes the time eschatological, a time filled with tension -Strives for the infinite good - Jesus is a bridge sent by God to share our world and lives - A response to an experience of being loved

TO BE RIGHT WITH ONE ANOTHER - Our relationship with God is measured in our relationship with the poor, the mourner, the meek, the hungry and thirsty

IT IS A GOSPEL ETHICS - A new way of relating to God going beyond the Mosaic law - Jesus invites us to come along with him, to love as he loves - The good news that the kingdom of God has come - Jesus is God’s commitment to us - Freedom to respond with personal commitment

The New Testament revelation of God Reveals an enrichment of our understanding of God, God’s very being is love -God is an eternal exchange of love: Father, Son and Holy Spirit -One God is threefold love - Jesus is the incarnation of God’s love -The sermon itself is an expression of the kingdom of God -Love urges us to enter into our commitments with others

Glossary: Apocalyptic literature- style of writing that evolved during Israel’s troubled history around the time of Jesus. It focuses on the end of history and the time of God’s purifying judgement, wars between good and evil Beatitudes- form of pronouncement, presupposes happiness/good have been already given/about to be received, Sermon on the Mount Eschatological- pertaining to the end of time, in the sense of its fullness. The coming of the kingdom of God at the end of time, according to Jesus, has already begun in his life, death and resurrection. Ethics that insist we can already live what God will realize/reveal to the world Exegesis- analysis of texts in original content Gospel- literary genre that proclaims life, death and resurrection of Jesus Hermeneutics- interpreting texts and events to understand what they mean in the 20 th CE Inspiration- sacred scripture inspired by God Parousia- refer to second coming of Christ at the end of time Torah- 5 books of Moses, contain core teachings: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy