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Kingdom Principles – Matt. 5
Kingdom Principles – Matt. 5
In trying to understand the Sermon on the Mount, students have been divided into different groups. Some think that Jesus was ‘merely’ correcting the wrong interpretations of the Old Covenant by the Jews of His day. This being their understanding, they then dismiss Jesus teaching as being part of the Old Covenant that has been replaced with the New Covenant. Essentially this makes Jesus teaching in these chapters a rather moot point as far as application to current believers lives.
Others see Jesus contradicting the Old Covenant and teaching the basis of the New Covenant. The problem that I see with this approach is that it then makes following Jesus' teaching IN HIS DAY to be dismissing the Old Covenant while it was still in effect. Jesus himself warned: "Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19-20). I find it unacceptable to say that Jesus then turned around and made these same laws of not matter to the disciples of the Old Covenant whom He was preaching to.
I believe there is a solution to this dilemma. Jesus is teaching ‘kingdom principles’. These neither set aside the Old Covenant (they instead expand it to a greater level) nor were they done away with the changing of the covenants. They pertain to God’s spiritual rule in the lives of His people. In effect they have not really changed although the covenant has changed. What Jesus taught here was applicable to those who heard it and to us who read it long after the life of Jesus on this earth.
Such kingdom principles are not a ‘do it yourself’ list of how to ‘improve your earthly life’ in 10 steps. As you read this sermon you quickly realize that some of these teachings will result in some earthly problems for you. They don’t make a lot of sense as earthly wealth management or carnal warfare. They transcend our earthly lives. They are living in harmony with eternity. They align us with God’s eternal spirit. By following such principles, we are prepared not for ease of our current life but for the glory of eternal life with God.
Jesus’ teaching concerning a life that is fitting for God’s people is higher than the Jewish teachers were getting from their study of the Old Covenant. It is also a challenge for us under the New Covenant to raise our thinking about this life to a higher plane.
He is our master, our Lord, our teacher, our King. We are to learn to obey all that He taught about living in the presence of God. This is indeed a higher calling!
Hugh DeLong
