SOTM 40-Wow!

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).

 

Power

Jesus’ teaching is not only true, but it is powerful…..And compact!As one commentator has pointed out, "The Golden Rule [is] just eleven words; by contrast, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the U.S. government's attempt to oblige ethical character into the financial statements of American corporations, has eleven titles (major sections). It is one of the most complicated pieces of legislation in the history of the American republic and, in the economies of scale, places a disproportionate burden on small companies which were not the cause of the adoption" (Richard David Ramsey, "Business Ethics in the Sermon on the Mount," Leaven: A Journal of Christian Ministry [Pepperdine University: vol.16, no.4, 2008], 180).How convoluted are human attempts to exact honesty and fairness! How simple is the command Jesus gave us!

Authority

Matthew says what astonished the people was that Jesus “taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” What does that mean?When the scribes taught, they spoke from the authority of others, usually Moses (Matt 23:2).Or they taught and followed the “tradition of the elders” (Matt 15:2).Mishnah (c.200 AD)—disagreements rife. Inconsistencies.Many times the rabbis disagreed with one another about what was permissible under the Law.They did not dare to speak in their own name—by their own authority. In contrast, Jesus spoke from his own authority—fulfilling, expanding, and modifying the teaching of even Moses himself. (Obviously, though we can speak from experience and out of conviction, we have no authority like his!)Chrysostom: “Everywhere in this teaching, he indicated that he himself was the person who had the power of deciding matters. When setting forth his laws, he kept adding, ‘But I say unto you.’ And in reminding them of that Day, he declared himself to be the Judge, both as to the punishments and the rewards.” Homilies on Matthew 25.1The people would have been even more astonished had they realized these laws applied not only to the Jews, but to the whole world.Eusebius: “Moses was the leader of but one nation. And his legislation has proved to be applicable only to that one nation. …Whereas, Jesus gave his new law of holiness not only to the Jews, but to the whole human race. In summoning all nations, he set before them a legislation that they could obey and that was suitable for them. Then by a power more divine than that of Moses, he ordained his holy laws throughout all the world by his evangelists.” Demonstration of the Gospel 9.11

Astonished
Will we go further in our study of the powerful words of Matthew 5-7?

Recommended books on the Sermon on the Mount:
* Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship. Hard hitting and thought-provoking. A classic.
* John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount. Stott is a careful student and a clear writer.
* Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy. Many fresh ideas. You may not agree with everything, but it is worth taking a look at.
* A. M. Hunter’s Design for Life: the Sermon on the Mount. Do we continue to be astonished at our Lord’s teaching?

Recommended audio on the Sermon on the Mount:
* Kinnard and Jacoby in New York (teaching jubilee)
* Malcom Cox
* David Bercot's Early Christian Commentary on Matthew (a commentary series is replacing the original plan for an Early Christian Study Bible). Click HERE.
* Jim Long (coming soon)

Further devotional series:
* 2008:  New Testament Chapter Studies ­— 400 devotional readings and studies taking us through every verse of the New Testament
* 2013: Drawing Near to God — 40 days of quiet times, on Psalms, the 10 Commandments, spiritual life, and key biblical characters
* 2014:  Christ Through the Ages ­— This series explores what it means that Jesus Christ is Lord of history. 30 podcasts plus 10 more on Worship.
* 2015:­  Romans A-Z — Be inspired through this careful, verse-by-verse study of Paul’s magisterial epistle to the Romans.
* 2016:  Proverbs—A Disciplined Life — Get your life in order. Learn from the wisest men and women of ages past.
* 2017:  Clean: Purity, Cleansing, Leprosy, Exorcism, & Reanimation — build biblical conviction about holiness and purity
* 2018:  A Tour Through John — 50 lessons taking us through the Gospel of John, his letters, and Revelation
* 2019:  The Imitation of Christ — 31 devotions for the heart from the classic work by Thomas à Kempis
* 2021: Isaiah: Justice & Injustice – 40 devotions through all 66 chapters of Isaiah

Also available:
* N.T. Character Podcasts — nearly 70 lessons on interesting, inspiring, informative biblical characters (men and women)
* O.T. Character Podcasts — 60 lessons on major and minor O.T. characters (men and women)