“Unpacking Jesus’ Greatest Sermon”
COMMENTARY ON
MATTHEW 5:1-48
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 5:1–48
BY BISHOP ROBERT BARRON
“Unpacking Jesus’ Greatest Sermon”
COMMENTARY ON
MATTHEW 5:1–48
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 5:1-48
BY BISHOP ROBERT BARRON
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
—Matthew 5:1–12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
—Matthew 5:1–12
Jesus’ sermon on the mount, recounted in Matthew 5–7, is perhaps the most famous sermon ever preached. We read in the first verse that, “when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.” This is important. We might pass over these minor actions, but through them, Jesus is symbolically establishing himself as the new Moses.
In the Old Testament, we find Moses, the great teacher, going up a mountain to receive the Law, and then coming down to teach it. Similarly, Jesus goes up a mountain and sits down to teach. However, Jesus is not receiving a law; he is giving one. During his sermon, we hear, “You have heard that it was said. . . But I say. . .” which reveals that Jesus has authority even over the Torah, which Jews held, above all, as sacred.
To be clear, Jesus is not speaking as an anti-Moses, but as a new Moses. The Law is not being abrogated; it is being intensified, raised to a new pitch. The Old Testament Law was always meant to bring humanity in line with divinity. In the beginning, this alignment was at a fairly basic level. But now that the definitive Moses has appeared, the alignment is becoming absolute, radical, complete.
Jesus declares that he would not undermine the Law and the prophets but fulfill them. Jesus himself was an observant Jew, and the themes and images of the Holy Scriptures were elemental for him.
“Jesus declares that he would not undermine the Law and the prophets but fulfill them.”
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But what is he going to fulfill? Theologian N.T. Wright has pointed out that the Old Testament is essentially an unfinished symphony, a drama without a climax. It is the articulation of a hope, a dream, a longing—but without a realization of that hope, without a satisfaction of that longing.
Israel knew itself to be the people with the definite mission to become holy and thereby to render the world holy. But instead, Israel fell into greater and greater sins; and instead of being the catalyst for the conversion of the world, the world was continually overwhelming and enslaving Israel.
And then came Jesus, who turned out to be, in the most unexpected way, the fulfillment of the dream. From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus affected the gathering of the tribes of Israel through conversion and the forgiveness of sins.
Thus, as the fulfillment of Israel’s entire story, he begins his primary teaching with the “Beatitudes” (Matt. 5:3–11), a title that stems from the Latin noun beatitudo, meaning “happiness” or “blessedness.” Through this series of paradoxes, surprises, and reversals, Jesus begins setting a topsy-turvy universe aright.
“And then came Jesus, who turned out to be, in the most unexpected way, the fulfillment of the dream. From the beginning of his ministry, Jesus affected the gathering of the tribes of Israel through conversion and the forgiveness of sins.”
How should we understand them? A key is the Greek word makarios, rendered “blessed” or “happy” or perhaps even “lucky,” which is used to start each of the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” We might say, “How lucky you are if you are not addicted to material things.” Here Jesus is telling us how to realize our deepest desire, which is the desire for God, not for passing things that only bring temporary comfort.
“Blessed are those who mourn.” We might interpret it this way: “How lucky you are if you are not addicted to good feelings.” Doing the will of God sometimes involves the acceptance of enormous pain, but when you’re free from dependence on good feelings, you’re liberated for whatever life demands.
“Blessed are the meek.” One of the world’s greatest seductions is power. But what we ought to do is eschew worldly power, so that the power of the will of God might reign in us.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” In other words, how lucky you are if you are not addicted to the approval of others.
Later in his sermon, Jesus teaches, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment.” Killing is an action, but that action is rooted in a more fundamental dysfunction: a hateful attitude, a disordered soul, a basic misperception of reality. To be like God utterly, we obviously have to eliminate cruel and hateful actions, but we have to go deeper, eliminating cruel and hateful thoughts and attitudes as well, for God is love, right through.
This commentary is taken from The Word on Fire Bible, which includes commentaries from Bishop Robert Barron and leading Catholics from across the centuries. The Word on Fire Bible makes one of the hardest books to read more beautiful and accessible. Designed as a “cathedral in print,” it is meant to open up Sacred Scripture in a new and deeper way to any reader. If you want more content like this article, experience the Bible like never before, wrapped in 2,000 years of insight, art, and tradition with The Word on Fire Bible!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Scott Hahn
Dr. Scott Hahn is the Fr. Michael Scanlan Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught for over thirty years. Author or editor of over forty books, Dr. Hahn is also Founder and President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (www.stpaulcenter.com).
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Learn about the Catholic sensibility of Bishop Barron.
In this issue of Evangelization & Culture, you will see the Catholic faith through the unique lens of Bishop Barron. Explore some of Bishop Barron’s theological writings, as well as the saints, spiritual masters, and mentors who played a key role in his own spiritual and intellectual formation. Dr. Eleonore Stump unpacks the mind of St. Thomas Aquinas. Dr. Matthew Nelson reflects on the pivotal influence of Robert Sokolowski. Dr. Scott Hahn examines the inner logic of Sacred Scripture through Barron’s biblical hermeneutic. Finally, Bishop Barron shares his lecture given at Oxford University on St. John Henry Newman and the New Evangelization.
“I detest ‘dumbed-down Catholicism’ and ‘beige Catholicism.’”
BISHOP ROBERT BARRON