The Teacher With Unique Authority

by McCubbin, A. D. | Category: The Sermon On The Mount | Dec 1984

The Sermon on the Mount ends with a brief but vitally important epilogue. "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes" (Mat. 7:28-29). (Quotations in this paper are generally taken from the RSV.)

The Teacher

The Sermon began with the Lord Jesus withdrawing to teach His disciples, but evidently the crowd followed to hear more from this outstanding person. At the end they were therefore astonished, or more literally, shocked. For the person they knew as Jesus of Nazareth, and who had already shown evidence of having special powers to heal the sick (4:23), could also teach in a way they had never heard before, although He had not been trained in the schools of the rabbis (religious leaders). The Jewish people had been diligently taught in the Law of God, which was given through Moses. The scribes (teachers) had not only sought to explain the meaning of the Law, but they had expanded it with their own Oral Law, which contained a multitude of detailed interpretations. None of these teachers could claim any authority of their own, but could only seek to be faithful to their traditions.

The Old Testament prophets had spoken as they were directed by God, which is evident by their usual preface, "Thus says the Lord" (e.g. Is. 43:14, Jer. 2:2). The fundamental difference of this new Teacher was His unique authority, which is shown by His frequent use of personal pronouns. "I" is used 18 times in this section, generally in the form "I say to you" (Mat. 5:18); He also refers to "these words of Mine" (7:24). He was the only one who could speak this way, because He was the only begotten Son of God, who was sent by God the Father to be the Saviour of the world. He did not explicitly state His deity at this time, although this truth emerged in discussion with the Jews. Peter could later exclaim, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16), but it was not until the ascension that the disclosure was made to all: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (28:18). The theme was developed by other new Testament writers: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe" (Heb. 1:1, 2 NIV).

Here was the supreme Teacher of all time, who was God and who came to make Him known (John 1). Unlike other teachers He was more important than even His message, and His call was first, "Follow Me."

His Mission

This Teacher made it clear that He had come for a specific purpose; as He said, "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come... to fulfil them" (Mat. 5:17). His teaching was not therefore something in isolation, nor was it opposed to the Law in any way, as some of His hearers apparently suspected, but it represented the culmination of the prophetic witness. He intended to carry out everything that was required to the smallest detail, which is described as a jot or iota, in such a way as to manifest in His life the glory of God (John 1:14). He magnified the Law and made it glorious (Is. 42:21). The ceremonial regulations would be suspended, and the sacrifices would be superseded by His one great sacrifice, but the cardinal principles of justice, mercy and faith would be enhanced (Mat. 23:23). If His listeners were confused He would demonstrate to them that their teachers were at fault in their interpretation of the Law. For they had forgotten the real intention of the Law, which was to provide a standard of conduct for Israel to maintain the special relationship which they enjoyed under the Old Covenant. The scribes had drawn up hundreds of regulations, which they sought to impress by their compliance and outward observance, so seeking to justify themselves before God. They even went so far as to grade by merit the commandments: some were called greater and others lesser, hence the reference to the least of the commandments (5:19). All this was far removed from the essential requirement to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbour as yourself (22:37-39), which will continue for all time.

God was looking for a standard of righteousness and for inward obedience, which had been foretold by Jeremiah: "I will put My law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And... they shall all know Me" (31:33-34). So the kingdom or kingly reign of God was at hand, and it was not surprising that the religious leaders were angered as He challenged their teachings.

His Standards

Since the people's understanding of the Law was unsatisfactory, and needed both correcting and extending, He demonstrated the standards that God required by six antitheses, where the contrast is brought out by "But I say to you" (5:22 etc.).

1.5:21-26. The sixth commandment prohibited murder, but He extended this to include anger, that is a brooding revenge that harboured thoughts of murder, and He included with this the contemptuous insult, which impugnes the character. As murder will kill a person, so also these aspects of hatred will destroy a person. The necessary corrective is first to seek reconciliation, which should be done before offering any sacrifices.

2.5:27-30. The seventh commandment prohibited adultery, but He extended this to include the sin of lust, which is the desire to commit adultery. His remedy for this is very dramatic, that is, to pluck out the eye and to cut off the hand. He was not advocating self-mutilation, as some have since attempted, in vain. He was taking up the Jewish saying that the eye is the medium through which temptation comes, and the hand is the instrument through which sin is carried out. The implication is that a limited life is better than a depraved one.

3.5:31-32. Divorce was permitted under the Law, and the rabbis had been much occupied in interpreting Deut. 24:1-4, and in particular defining the circumstances of "if she finds no favour in his eyes." But He was not interested in their various attitudes for acceptable grounds for divorce. He was only interested in stressing the permanence of marriage.

4.5:33-37. The taking of oaths is described in Deut. 23:21-22. Although oaths may be required in special circumstances, they had come to be used frivolously, and also profanely to impress others. But He required that God's name should not be used in oaths, even indirectly, such as swearing by heaven, which is the throne of God. Rather He says, "Do not swear at all."

5.5:3842. Since retaliation tended to be excessive. the Law limited it to the extent of the aggression. But His requirement was to stop any retaliation, even for an extreme insult, as is implied by striking the right cheek. To take it further, help must be given to all who require it.

6.5:4348. The Law required the people to love their neighbours, but it contained no reference to hating your enemy, which was a later addition. The scribes considered their neighbours to be fellow Jews; but Gentiles, who were considered to be evil persons, were hated. He required that they should be like God, and love all men.

These illustrations all show in a practical way how the Lord Jesus required a higher standard from His disciples than was required by the Jewish teachers. This was summed up in the following: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (5:48). This standard could only be attained by the

grace of God in those who have known the new birth. It was no wonder that when the full realization of these hard sayings dawned on many of His disciples they no longer followed (John 6:60). His sayings were sometimes difficult to understand, and all were difficult apart from divine grace to put into practice.

His Method

The large crowds that followed the Lord Jesus showed the effect of both His personality and His outstanding ability to communicate with His audience, whoever they were. His sayings contain many different figures of speech, which give vitality to the message, whereas the Jewish teachers were dull and tedious. The following examples, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, show the wide range that He used.

(a)Simile - "Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these"

(6:29).

(b)Metaphor - "The eye is the lamp of the body" (6:22).

(c)Proverb - "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"

(6:21).

(d)Dramatization- "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away" (5:29).

(e)Hyperbole - "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log which is in your own eye?" (7:3).

(f) Extension - "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (7:11).

(g)Questions -"Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?"

(7:16).

(h)Poetic form - "Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek, and you will find;

Knock, and it will be opened to you" (7:7).

He also used puns, which are not obvious in our translations, and parables, which were based on happenings in everyday life. The purpose of these illustrations was to impress the minds of the people by relating his teaching to their own environment. This subject has not received sufficient attention, and all teachers could profitably study more in depth how He taught.

The Response

In the conclusion (7:21-27), the Lord Jesus gave a very serious warning to His audience. Unlike ordinary teachers, whose sayings can be accepted or rejected with only limited consequences, His sayings demand a full active response; He solemnly directed them to "that day." This is the time that the prophets had looked forward to, when evil-doers will be banished, and when God's will must prevail. In that day He will be the Judge for, "the Father... has given all judgement to the Son" (John 5:22). False teachers and prophets who have deceived others will be exposed, for no one can deceive Him. Their claim to have done mighty works in His name, and even to have called Him "Lord" will not be accepted. All who have not willingly responded to His teaching will then be sentenced as evil-doers, who will find no place in the future glorious kingdom. This subject is further developed in Mat. 24 and 25 where the disciples are reassured of the final triumph over evil.

The warning is illustrated by a simple parable about two builders. Anyone who hears the words of Christ, and does nothing in response, is like the foolish man who erected his house directly on the sand. All was well until the time when the rain, floods and wind beat on the house; as a result the house collapsed completely, for there was nothing to support the structure (7:27). But those who heard the words of Christ and obeyed were like the wise builder who first dug down until he found rock, and on this he built his house, which was able to survive the impact of the elements, although perhaps the wind beat even more strongly on this house. The foundation on the rock made all the difference. Elsewhere we are told, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). It should be emphasized that this parable is not teaching salvation by works, but the need for a sure foundation.

His authority was thus firmly established with His disciples, who were left in no doubt that God was working powerfully among His people, and that the Lord Jesus would lead them to know God in a real way.

McCubbin, A. D. | Dec 1984
The Sermon On The Mount