February 5th, 2023

This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. We are getting closer to the end of this season. And we continue in our progression in the Gospel according to Matthew. The text for this Sunday is Matthew 5:13-20. Last week we looked at the last historical present that will be in the text for a while, that Jesus SAYS to Simon and Andrew to come follow him.
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Jesus’ words continue to be important within the first sermon that he gives, what is usually known as the Sermon on the Mount. There have been books written just about this sermon, and the Concordia Commentary on this gospel account has approximately 200 pages given to this sermon.

What may be helpful is to see how Jesus refers to God, the Father, within this account. Below are the first verses of this section, the texts from this past Sunday and the present Sunday. To help you out, all the references to God, the Father, are in bold.

Now seeing the crowds, he went up into the mountain. And he, sitting, they came toward him, the disciples of him. And opening the mouth of him, he taught them saying:
“Blessed the poor in the spirit, because of them is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed the mourning, because they themselves shall be comforted. Blessed the meek, because they themselves shall inherit the earth. Blessed the hungering and thirsting the righteousness, because they themselves shall be satisfied. Blessed the merciful, because they themselves shall receive mercy. Blessed the clean in the heart, because they themselves shall see the God. Blessed the peacemakers, because they shall be called sons of God. Blessed the having-been-persecuted ones for the sake of righteousness, because of them is the kingdom of the heavens.”

“Blessed are you when they reproach you and they persecute and they say all evil against you, lying for the sake of me. Rejoice and be glad, because the reward of you, much in the heavens; for thus they persecuted the prophets, those before you.”

“You yourselves are the salt of the earth; now if the salt be tasteless, in what shall it be salted? Into nothing it is strong, still except being thrown out to be trampled down by the men.  You yourselves are the light of the world. Not it is able, a city, to be hid on a mountain situated. Nor do they light a lamp and place it under the grain-measure, but on the contrary, on the lampstand, and it lightens all those in the house. Thus, let shine the light of you before the men, so that they may see of you the good works and they may glorify the Father of you in the heavens.”

“Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets; I came not to destroy, but on the contrary, to fulfill. For amen I say to you, until pass away the heavens and the earth, one iota or one point will certainly not pass away from the law, until all things happen. Therefore, whoever loosens one of the commandments of these, the least, and he teaches thus the men, least he shall be called in the kingdom of the heavens. Now whoever does and he teaches, this one great shall be called in the kingdom of the heavens. For I am saying to you that except shall exceed the righteousness of you, more than of the scribes and Pharisees, by no means you shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens.”

The transition from God to Father is interesting. Nowhere does Jesus call himself the salt of the earth. But he certainly calls himself the light of the world in the Gospel according to John (see John 8:12). And the light we have as Christians certainly comes from our Father in heaven.