Sermon on the mount, part eleven

We will take a quick look at the sermon in Luke (6:20-49) that is similar to Matthew's sermon on the mount. The location of the sermon is quite similar, yet worded differently. As in Matthew, Luke's sermon begins with some "blessed are" phrases. Again, they are similar, but worded differently. They are different enough to actually have different meanings. Luke goes on to parallel his blessings with curses, in "woe unto" statements. These do not appear in Matthew.

Luke's sermon is significantly shorter than the one in Matthew. All the remaining passages of Luke's sermon, after the blessings and woes, are found in Matthew. These include the sections on loving enemies, not judging, bearing good fruit, and the wise man built his house upon a rock. The order of the passages and the order of the phrases in the passages are not exactly the same in all details, but close enough. Both Matthew's and Luke's sermons end with the parable of the wise and foolish men.

Much of the extra material in Matthew's sermon is found in other random parts of Luke, some is not. Matthew's sermon appears to be well structured and logical in sequence. Jesus goes into detail about how to be more righteous than the pharisees by going one step further. Luke's beatitudes have a unique structure, but also appear well thought out. The rest of Luke's sermon is quite condensed, with no sense that Jesus is trying to preserve the law of Moses. In Luke, Jesus gives only one "do not." Luke's author seems more concerned with how the disciples actually treat other people than with what they are thinking. In his sermon, Matthew addresses religious acts of praying, giving, and fasting.  Luke only addresses giving in his version.

After the sermon in the mount, both books have Jesus encounter a centurion with a sick servant. It seems clear to me that Matthew's and Luke's timetables are the same. So, why the discrepancies in the two accounts? Which one came first? Obviously, they were written by two different people. Neither author is known to history. Matthew's book might appeal more to a Jewish audience, since he focuses on the law and the prophets and Luke doesn't. If we were to take the sermon as the core of Jesus's message, would we get the same impressions from each? Suppose I had only one story, and someone else had the other, would we have the same religion? If I were to take the stories literally, how could I justify the discrepancies?

I was going back over both sermons to see if I missed anything, and I noticed something about how Jesus referred to himself. In Matthew's sermon, Jesus says, "blessed are you when people (insult, persecute, and slander) you because of Me. Luke's sermon has  has Jesus saying,  "blessed are you when men (hate, exclude, insult) you because of the Son of Man. 

In Matthew,  Jesus says he came to fulfill the law and the prophets. He does not say so in Luke. In Matthew, Jesus gives examples of things that were said to "the people long ago." He follows each example with "but I tell you," setting himself up as an authority greater than the traditions of the Israelites. He does not do that in Luke's version. In Matthew, Jesus also says "I tell you the truth" multiple times, implying either that other people did not tell the listeners the truth or that some have called Jesus a liar. Luke's version does not include this phrase.

In Matthew, Jesus says, "not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven." He then implies that people will perform miracles in his name. "Lord" here is kyrie in the greek, which has the root kurios, and means master. It is a title of respect and authority. Matthew uses passive future tense language in this passage, but Luke is more direct and present tense. His version says, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" Christianity often presents this statement as something god will say to all humans in the judgment. Luke presents it as a rhetorical question Jesus said to the disciples that day.

That ends my look at the sermon on the mount. Over the next few posts, I will tell you about my journey through and out of religion.

Sermon on the mount, part ten

The next section of Matthew's version of the sermon is 7:15-21.  There Matthew tells the disciples to watch out for false prophets. Then he gives multiple metaphors that boil down to "By their fruit you will recognize them." That's not very specific is it? Jesus does not explain how to tell the the difference between bad fruit and good fruit. However, since this passage was written decades after Jesus's death, and there were probably already a few versions of Christianity put out by other prophets, I'm guessing the author has something in mind. This sentiment is also found in Luke's version of the sermon, 6:43-45

Verses 21-23 tell us not everyone will get into the kingdom of heaven, even some of those who prophesy, drive out demons, and perform miracles in Jesus's name. Then who will, pray tell. Verses 24-27 tell us that it is everyone who hears these words of Jesus (in the sermon) and puts them into practice. That person will be like the wise man who built his house upon a rock. Do you know the song? The wise man is also found in Luke's version, 6:46-49

That is the end of Matthew's version of the sermon on the mount. So what are the concrete, specific things that Jesus said in Matthew's version of the sermon that could actually be put into practice?

*Rejoice when being persecuted because of Jesus. Verse 5:12
*Be more righteous than the pharisees, by....
     Not insulting your brother
     Reconciling differences before making offerings
     Settle matters quickly with those who are suing you
     Do not lust after women
     Do not divorce except for marital unfaithfulness
     Do not swear oaths (make cross your heart hope to die promises, oops we skipped that)
     Turn the other cheek
     Do not resist an evil person
     Give to anyone who asks
     Love your enemies
     Pray for those who persecute you
     Be perfect (whoa!)
     Give in secret
     Pray in private
     Keep your prayers short and to the point
     Do not advertise your fasting
     Do not store up treasures on earth
     Do not worry about food, drink, or clothing
     Do not worry about tomorrow
     Do not judge
     Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

The people who do these things are the ones Jesus was talking about. They are the ones who will get into that kingdom of heaven by the small gate and the narrow road. They are building their houses on rock, not sand. How many Christians do you know that do ALL these things? Forget all, how many do you know that are perfect? How many do you think will get into the kingdom of heaven?
  
How many of those things are actually of practical use for day to day living, if there is no god? Maybe six. The most practical, of course, is do unto others as you would have others do unto you, or the so called golden rule. But Jesus wasn't the only person in history to give us a version of that principle.

Sermon on the mount, part nine

Continuing on with the "do nots" in Matthew's version of the sermon:

Matt. 7:1-5, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged..." Seems pretty clear. The passage continues on to talk metaphorically about how hypocritical it is to judge when you also have issues. "First take the plank out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

This passage is repeated in Luke's version sermon (Luke 6:37-42) but with modifications and additions. After saying do not judge, Jesus goes on to say "Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." This actually sounds quite lovely, a kind of divine karma, the root of the prosperity gospel. Too bad it doesn't always work. Very often, people don't get good for good. I don't think that means we shouldn't do good and give to those in need. We just shouldn't expect to reap a windfall from our charitable deeds. Be good for goodness sake. Collective goodness makes the world a more pleasant  place.

Matt. 7:6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls before pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (This is not found in Luke) What in the world does Jesus mean here? My study bible commentary says that it is connected to the "do not judge" because you can judge whether a person is a "dog" or not by their character. You just can't be hypocritical about it. Personally, I think Jesus's "brother" in the judge not passage is a fellow Jew. In my opinion, dogs and pigs are metaphorically representative of Samaritans and gentiles. Later, in Chapter 15, Matthew recounts a story of a Canaanite woman who asked Jesus for help. He basically called her a dog, but he ended up helping her because he liked her sassy reply. Actually, this "do not" passage, with the dogs and pigs, does not seem to fit the rest of the sermon's theme and style.

Matt. 7:7-12, there are no more "do nots." Now Jesus tells his disciples to "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Wow! That's quite a promise. And it doesn't appear to come with any caveats. In fact Jesus goes on to say that god will give good gifts to those who ask him. That is the reason given for doing to others what you would have them do unto you. God does it, so should you. Again, prosperity gospel preaching. No conditions given.

This passage is repeated in Luke 11:9-13. (Not in the sermon) However, it is at the end of a parable about a man who needs something from a friend but the friend is in bed and his door is locked. The man is bold and persistent and gets what he needs. This is shown to be a metaphor for how a person should ask god for things. It makes a lot more sense in Luke's context.

Matt. 7:13-14, gives us the wide gate and broad road to destruction, and a small gate for the narrow road that leads to life. Only a few will find it. This comes after telling us how generous god is. Apparently he is not generous enough to keep all of humanity from destruction. In Luke 13:24, Jesus speaks of a narrow door into the house of salvation.  There is also an interesting passage in Isaiah 35:8-10 that talks of a "highway of holiness." Maybe Matthew got the idea from that.

Sermon on the mount, part eight

Continuing on with the "do nots" in the book of Matthew:

*6:25-33 Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will wear. God knows what you need. If you seek his kingdom first, he will take care of you. "These things will be given to you." This is horrible advice. First of all because it is not true. There is no invisible being in the sky making sure you have everything you need. Things like food and clothing don't just happen. Plenty of religious people live without adequate food and clothing, including children, who are dependant on adults. Food and clothing are the result of someone's labor. Money represents human hours of labor. If you don't think about how you can either make or pay for the things you need, you won't have them, unless you steal or live off the generosity of others. If you do that on purpose, you are a sponger. Many evangelists, missionaries, and monks, are professional spongers. (Not all)

Part of Jesus's reasoning is that birds don't need to worry about their food and flowers don't need to worry about what they will wear. God takes care of them. No he doesn't. Birds and flowers are a natural part of earth's interconnected evolved ecosystem. Humans have developed ways to transcend and exploit the ecosystem.  Birds and flowers die daily from disease, drought, and being eaten. Have you ever watched a bird feeding its young, or seen one that was angry or frightened?  Birds are not carefree. Of course flowers are worry free. They have no consciousness! Every conscious being concerns itself over its next meal. That's how they stay alive.

This passage is repeated in Luke 12:22-31, which is not part of Luke's similar sermon.

*Matt. 6:34 "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." This ends the above passage about clothing and food. It too is a bad idea, especially in the modern world. We need to think and plan for the future, unless we want to be homeless. Some translations have anxious in place of worry, which gives the passage a different connotation. Anxiety is often unproductive. However, caring what happens to you is not the same as debilitating anxiety. It motivates you to accomplish things.

Luke ends the similar passage differently. (12:32-34) He says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted..." If you want to sell your possessions and give to the poor, fine. Just don't make yourself become someone that other people must support. There won't be any treasures in any afterlife. Besides, what would you do with treasure in heaven? If it is physical, you won't need it. If it is "spiritual" what will you do with it? Maybe the treasure is heaven itself? In that case, I would need to be convinced that such a place exists and that I would want to be there.

I find it interesting that my study bible claims Jesus is only talking about undue anxiety, not a legitimate concern to provide for one's daily needs. This is something I hear echoed in church.  However, Jesus did not say, "It's totally okay to be a little concerned about your daily needs, just not a lot." Did he? How much concern is too much? Also, Paul, who wrote his letters earlier than Matthew and Luke were written , was concerned when people were not willing to work for their subsistence. (2Thessalonians 3:6-12)  It's also interesting that Paul doesn't seem to have been aware of most of Jesus's teachings.

Sermon on the mount, part seven

Next in Matthew's sermon on the mount, Jesus gives his followers a list of "do nots."

6:1- Do not do acts of righteousness publicly, in order to be noticed. You get NO rewards from god if you do that. This encompasses a few of the following do nots as well.

6:2-4 Do not publicly announce your charitable acts, so you can be honored. Don't make a show of helping the needy. Give in secret. Then god who sees what is done in secret will reward you. How many Christians follow this command? This is not found in Luke.

6:5-6 Do not pray publicly, to be seen. Go into a room and pray to god who is unseen. The god who sees what is done in secret will reward you. This command of Jesus is broken daily by Christians all over the world. This is not found in Luke, or anywhere else.

6:7-15 Do not babble on and on when you pray. Make it short and sweet. (We all know this one is often ignored.) God already knows what you need. Then Jesus gives them an example prayer which has become known as "The Lord's prayer." The prayer is also found in Luke 11:2-4, in a totally different context. It is also worded differently. It does not say "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It also does not say "deliver us from the evil one." Prayer is useless. There is no virtue in praying.

6:16-18 Do not act like a gloomy Gus when you are fasting. Act normal. No one needs to know. God who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Listen closely all you public observers of Lent.) This is not found in Luke. Fasting is unnecessary, unless it is for medical reasons. It Is not a virtue.

6:19-24 Do not accumulate wealth or possessions. Those things don't last. Store up everlasting treasures in heaven. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also....You cannot serve both god and money." Part of this is echoed in Luke 16:13, in a totally different context. "No servant can serve two masters...You cannot serve both god and money." Does Joel Osteen know? Seriously, there are so many popular preachers who are wealthy that it's ridiculous. Some tele-preacher guy asked his congregation to give him money to buy an airplane! So he can serve the lord, of course.

It is interesting to note that my study bible has a foot note on this passage that says the New Testament is full of verses about the dangers of being wealthy. Then it gives a list of them. After that, it says "Nowhere are they (riches) condemned in and of themselves. What Jesus condemns here is greed and hoarding of money." This is what I have heard preached so many times. It's not the money that's the problem it's the "heart." You can be rich, just don't be greedy. Those bible editors know which side their bread is buttered on. But is that what Jesus actually teaches? Where does he say, "Don't get me wrong, it's totally okay to be wealthy, if you've got the right attitude?" In Luke's sermon on the mount, (6:24) Jesus says, "woe unto you who are rich." Luke 18 and Mark 10 both tell the same story of a wealthy man who Jesus told to give all his wealth to the poor. This made the man sad. Then Jesus  said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. However, he later adds that what is impossible with men is possible with god. This is the part that Christians grab hold of. See! It's not impossible, just hard. God can get us to heaven, even if we are wealthy. How much wealth is too much?

As an atheist, I am conflicted about these teachings. Clearly most Christians are hypocrites when it comes to following Jesus's teachings here, but how useful are the teachings in real life? I don't think virtue comes from poverty or wealth. I think how you treat others says more about you than what you believe, and wealth can be used to help a lot of people. It also sets a good example when others see you giving freely, or lavishly as many celebrities do. Sure, they often get publicity and honors, but they also give a lot of people pleasure from their acts of generosity. I find myself unwilling to cast judgment on people like Oprah and Bill Gates. What would I do in their shoes? I don't know. What I do know is that, no matter what, any benefits, rewards, or punishments,  I get will be here on earth, not in a nonexistent afterlife.

The sermon on the mount, part three

Many people don't realize it, but the so called sermon on the mount, or Luke's sermon on the plain, contains more than just the so called beatitudes. Jesus is not done sermonizing. We will continue to compare the sermons in Matthew and Luke.

*Matthew 5:13 calls the disciples (or the jews?) the "salt of the earth." But if salt loses its saltiness, it isn't good for anything and needs to be thrown out and trampled by men.
*Luke does not say this in his comparable sermon. However, he does say something very similar much later, in Luke 14:34-35. There, it is in the context of the  cost of being disciple of Jesus. The author says, "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil, nor the manure pile; it is thrown out."
*Mark 9:50 also says something very similar in a very different context. After talking about it being better to remove body parts than to be cast into hell where the fire is not quenched, the author says, "Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other."

Can salt lose its saltiness? Well, yes and no. Answer in link. Does this metaphor make any sense in its various contexts? To me, it seems to make the most sense in the Matthew context. The other two instances seem very random and disconnected to the context. Also, salt has never been good for soil. Does Luke not know that? What does it mean to be salted with fire? I think Mark was mixing his metaphors. The only other mention of salt in the New Testament is Colossians 4:6 where Paul says, "Let your speech be gracious and seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." This actually makes sense, because salt is a flavor enhancer. Matthew's salty verse seems to be referring to that as well.

*Next in the sermon as recorded in Matthew 5:14-16 is a continuation of Matthew's theme of the disciples being an enhancement to the world. He tells them they are the "light of the world." They need to let their light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.  "Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl, instead they put it on a stand and it gives light to everyone in the house."
*Luke 8:16 has a similar verse, but it is not in the comparable sermon. It comes after the parable of the sower and says, "No one lights a lamp and hides it under a jar, or puts its under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." we can see that the reason for the lamp is very different in Luke's passage. The concept of divine hiddenness is given by Jesus earlier in the chapter, when he tells the disciples  secrets of the kingdom are given to them, but he talks about the kingdom to everyone else in parables to keep them in the dark, so to speak. "Though seeing, they may not see; though hearing they may not understand." That doesn't seem quite sporting of Jesus.

More to come.

The Sermon on the Mount, part one.

I'm not ready to plunge into a study of heaven and eternal rewards, so I thought we might look at the so called "sermon on the mount." This sermon of Jesus is found in Matthew 5:1-7:29 and Luke 6:12-6:48. Luke's version is significantly different than Matthew's, plus it is much shorter. I think a side by side comparison should be interesting. This sermon is not found in Mark or John. John should have been there. Why didn't he remember it?

First the setting: The author of Matthew tells us Jesus went up on an unnamed mountainside because of the crowds of people that had been following him around the  region. This mountainside could have been anywhere from Galilee to Jerusalem. Jesus sat down on the mountainside and began to teach his disciples. Then we get the extensive lesson in the supposed words of Jesus.

On the other hand, the author of  Luke tells us Jesus had gone up an unnamed mountainside to pray all night. The next morning, he gathered his disciples and chose the special twelve whom he also designated as apostles. Matthew neglects to mention this, and he was there, according to Luke, who wasn't there. Confused? After that, Jesus went down the mountain to a level place, where there were crowds of people who were all trying to touch him. Then he began to speak to his disciples.

 The first section of his speech is called the "beatitudes" in Matthew and called the "blessings and woes" in Luke. Those phrases are not part of the text, but the designations given by the people who formatted my bible.  Beatitude is just another word for blessing. Woes are curses. Let us begin.

Matthew: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Luke: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kindgom of god."
Luke's version appears to me more directly addressing the audience. Matthew's seems to imply that it is humility vs. the lack of worldly goods that gets you the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps Matthew wasn't keen on being poor for god.

Matthew: ""Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
Luke does not have this phrase, but it does say, "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." Matthew is more abstract. Luke is more concrete.

Matthew: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Luke does not say that, but there is something similar in Psalm 37:11.

Matthew: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Luke: "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied." That's quite a difference if you think about it, a spiritual desire vs. a physical need. Again, abstract vs. concrete.

Matthew: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Even merciful athiests?)
Not found in Luke.

Matthew: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see god." Is anyone pure in heart according to god's standards?
Not found in Luke.

Matthew: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of god." What about the warmongers? What will happen to them, hmm?
Not found in Luke.

More to come.