WHO ARE THOSE?
14/03/24
As a general rule, almost all modern teaching of this sermon starts with the premise that Y'shua was teaching the crowd (multitudes) that gathered; but let's take a look at the people that gathered.
If you read my study called To the Point, you will have seen that I've been struggling with the Beatitudes because I feel there is a shift that was happening. This shift has revealed itself and a whole new meaning of the Beatitudes has come to life.
As a note, the struggle I've been having is due to preconceived notions. Even as a teacher of how to study Scripture, these preconceived notions can affect the way Scripture is understood. Where we fail is when we don't respond to things that are standing out and troublesome to us. The Bible is not shy to being asked questions and we must do so when there's difficulties in the text. You can find out more on my Bible Study Tip page under Context.
That being said, when studying Scripture always look for the Context of Scripture so let's lay this out as quick as possible.
The gospel of Matthew was written to the Jews. Anything within his writings will lean towards first-century Jewish understanding. We need to study this book in this manner, the best we can.
Matthew was a tax collector and an outcast from his people. We can imagine that it was hard for the other disciples to accept Matthew. It took healing, mercy, grace, and time for this to be accomplished as we, as humans, have deep feelings and hurt that must heal. When we read through Matthew's gospel, we see how he points to Y'shua's interaction with the outcast. We need to remember this when studying this text.
Going to the sermon on the mount, we start chapter 5 with:
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
Matthew 5:1-2
As a general rule, almost all modern teaching of this sermon starts with the premise that Y'shua was teaching the crowd (multitudes) that gathered; but let's take a look at the people that gathered.
If we back up into Matthew 4:23-25 we see Matthew making sure to note who was gathering before the recording of the Sermon on the Mount. He could have easily said, “His fame spread throughout the land” but Matthew specifically noted different areas of the region; and he did so for the reader to have feelings come up from deep inside them. This is another Bible Study Tip; look for Lists. When you see lists, look closer and take note of what is going on in this list. Let's look at this list real quick.
Syria - These are Arabians (Arabs), Phoenicians, Assyrians, Jewish communities, and Gentiles. Phoenicians were self-identified as Canaanites and referred to their land as Canaan. The Assyrians had once conquered the northern part of Israel and taken them captive. Later those Israelis decided not to leave and they interbred with the Assyrians creating the Samaritans.
Galilee - These are religious Jews. They were largely uneducated, the "red-necks" of the Israelites. Remember they were pointed out in this manner in Acts 2:7 when they questioned how the Galileans could be speaking in other languages. It was common for the educated but these people are not. These are the fringe, charismatic fanatics.
Decapolis - These are the pagans. They were largely into idol worship with involve sexual orgies, sacrificing children, and sex with children.
Jerusalem - Jerusalem mainly consisted of priests and those who followed the priest's teachings. This was a highly religious group as they were positioned directly where the Temple of God was being rebuilt.
Judea - These were Herodians and other religious people. Judean's were a highly educated people. The Herodians were often linked to the Pharisees and the two recordings of Herodians showed them being hostile towards Y'shua (Mark 3:6, 12:13; Matthew 22:16). There was a heavy distain between the Judean's and Galileans, to the point they would spit on the ground when talking about the other.
Beyond the Jordan - In Matthew 4:15 we are told this is the "Galilee of the Gentiles". These were more pagans, likely Roman citizens settled into the land.
When looking at this list of the multitudes that gathered we see this rag-tag group of people. People who did not get along with each other. Let's look closer and feel the tension by bringing in a little modern understanding as well. Think about being in church when a group of Americans are there, and some Russians show up, along with Chinese. Here comes North Korea on the scene. Also showing up are rapists and pedophiles (Decapolis). The next thing you know, Israel shows up along with Hamas. Think about the tension that is in the crowd. This was a volatile situation.
Y'shua, "looking at the multitudes" recognized this situation and you know his new disciples saw the same. These disciples didn't just see it, they felt it. They're new in the following of their new Rabbi and this situation was out of the ordinary so they drew near to Y'shua. It was at this point that Y'shua started to speak.
Now we have the audience and we have the tension of this situation. Let's look at another important item to view for a better understand of Biblical text - pronouns.
In To the Point we looked at verbs and the Chiastic Structure but here we are going to notice a shift in pronouns. Notice from verses three through ten we see the pronouns those and they being used throughout the text. Then, in verse eleven there's a hard shift to "YOU".
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12
Now we start to see a new picture of what's happening. We've had this mindset of Y'shua preaching to the multitude, and this may be the case later in the text, but what we're actually seeing is a lesson to those new disciples of His.
All these groups of people, Americans, North Koreans, Hamas, Israel, rapist and pedophiles, all gathered around but not to come together as one. This was not a dinner party. There was likely ugly looks, mumbling, all kinds of tension in the crowd, but they gathered in pursuit of Y'shua. They were not where they should be spiritually but they heard about the Messiah and they pursued after Him, traveling a great distance to hear Him. The disciples would not have liked this situation at all and they drew close to their Rabbi and He looks at them, referring to the ones they hated in the crowds, and He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled…
This list, being in a Chiastic Structure, then points to a central focus that these disciples need to grab ahold of. If they are seeking righteousness then mercy for these people must be included. You can read about this further in To the Point
After going through this list about the crowd He looks at His disciples and says, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you for My sake". These people will be accepted into the Kingdom and you will teach this and you will be persecuted for it as the prophets of old were persecuted for this same reason.
That reference to the prophets of old will have a portion of this painting as well. Later in this sermon, Y'shua talks about the Law and Prophets. He did not come to do away with them but to establish them, to live them out, to show us the example of what was intended by them from the beginning, that we live in an image of God so that the gentile would also come to Him. It's was supposed to be an expanding of the Kingdom but was sniffled through the same feelings these disciples were feeling at this time and Y'shua wanted them to know that these ones you're having issues with are invited and you will come around to accepting them, and like the prophets of old who taught the same things, you will be persecuted.
This is likely the first time you've ever heard anyone say that Messiah Y'shua was not talking to the crowd during the "sermon on the mount" message. This makes this teaching obscure and non-conforming with popular teaching. Could I be wrong in this understanding?
Early this morning I was laying in bed meditating when Y'shua's next words flooded into my mind. Using the pronoun ”you” again He starts saying, “you are the salt of the world” and “you are the light of the world”.
When I look at how our Messiah responded to the different peoples (disciples, crowds, Pharisees) He would never have made this statement to the crowd. The pagans from Decapolis, the Herodians from Judea, the Gentile from Syria and beyond the Jordan; these are not the salt and light. They are darkness and He never would have told them otherwise. Those who follow Jesus are salt and light. His statement was obviously directed at them and the picture is painted that Y'shua was not preaching to the multitude. He was talking to His new disciples and telling them the Kingdom is for these outcast as well as the Jew and they will be bringing them into Gods Kingdom.
We may have been looking at the Beatitudes somewhat wrong based on the audience. Who is the audience and how does this shape the way we understand the Beatitudes?
As far as the Beatitudes, while there are many ways of viewing definitions and meanings of the list of attributes, we must make sure we are aligning which definitions and meanings based upon the context of the situation He was speaking in.
When it comes to His light and salt statement, we’ve always known the followers of Y’shua are supposed to be salt and light. Supposed is the key word. How have we done with the outcast? It’s human nature to humble ourselves just enough for those we can put up with for a moment. Yet, the picture here is of people that were not just tolerable but groups of people that welled up emotions of destain and disgust in these new Jewish followers. These are the ones Messiah is saying you are the salt and light to.
As a note, the struggle I've been having is due to preconceived notions. Even as a teacher of how to study Scripture, these preconceived notions can affect the way Scripture is understood. Where we fail is when we don't respond to things that are standing out and troublesome to us. The Bible is not shy to being asked questions and we must do so when there's difficulties in the text. You can find out more on my Bible Study Tip page under Context.
That being said, when studying Scripture always look for the Context of Scripture so let's lay this out as quick as possible.
The gospel of Matthew was written to the Jews. Anything within his writings will lean towards first-century Jewish understanding. We need to study this book in this manner, the best we can.
Matthew was a tax collector and an outcast from his people. We can imagine that it was hard for the other disciples to accept Matthew. It took healing, mercy, grace, and time for this to be accomplished as we, as humans, have deep feelings and hurt that must heal. When we read through Matthew's gospel, we see how he points to Y'shua's interaction with the outcast. We need to remember this when studying this text.
Going to the sermon on the mount, we start chapter 5 with:
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
Matthew 5:1-2
As a general rule, almost all modern teaching of this sermon starts with the premise that Y'shua was teaching the crowd (multitudes) that gathered; but let's take a look at the people that gathered.
If we back up into Matthew 4:23-25 we see Matthew making sure to note who was gathering before the recording of the Sermon on the Mount. He could have easily said, “His fame spread throughout the land” but Matthew specifically noted different areas of the region; and he did so for the reader to have feelings come up from deep inside them. This is another Bible Study Tip; look for Lists. When you see lists, look closer and take note of what is going on in this list. Let's look at this list real quick.
Syria - These are Arabians (Arabs), Phoenicians, Assyrians, Jewish communities, and Gentiles. Phoenicians were self-identified as Canaanites and referred to their land as Canaan. The Assyrians had once conquered the northern part of Israel and taken them captive. Later those Israelis decided not to leave and they interbred with the Assyrians creating the Samaritans.
Galilee - These are religious Jews. They were largely uneducated, the "red-necks" of the Israelites. Remember they were pointed out in this manner in Acts 2:7 when they questioned how the Galileans could be speaking in other languages. It was common for the educated but these people are not. These are the fringe, charismatic fanatics.
Decapolis - These are the pagans. They were largely into idol worship with involve sexual orgies, sacrificing children, and sex with children.
Jerusalem - Jerusalem mainly consisted of priests and those who followed the priest's teachings. This was a highly religious group as they were positioned directly where the Temple of God was being rebuilt.
Judea - These were Herodians and other religious people. Judean's were a highly educated people. The Herodians were often linked to the Pharisees and the two recordings of Herodians showed them being hostile towards Y'shua (Mark 3:6, 12:13; Matthew 22:16). There was a heavy distain between the Judean's and Galileans, to the point they would spit on the ground when talking about the other.
Beyond the Jordan - In Matthew 4:15 we are told this is the "Galilee of the Gentiles". These were more pagans, likely Roman citizens settled into the land.
When looking at this list of the multitudes that gathered we see this rag-tag group of people. People who did not get along with each other. Let's look closer and feel the tension by bringing in a little modern understanding as well. Think about being in church when a group of Americans are there, and some Russians show up, along with Chinese. Here comes North Korea on the scene. Also showing up are rapists and pedophiles (Decapolis). The next thing you know, Israel shows up along with Hamas. Think about the tension that is in the crowd. This was a volatile situation.
Y'shua, "looking at the multitudes" recognized this situation and you know his new disciples saw the same. These disciples didn't just see it, they felt it. They're new in the following of their new Rabbi and this situation was out of the ordinary so they drew near to Y'shua. It was at this point that Y'shua started to speak.
Now we have the audience and we have the tension of this situation. Let's look at another important item to view for a better understand of Biblical text - pronouns.
In To the Point we looked at verbs and the Chiastic Structure but here we are going to notice a shift in pronouns. Notice from verses three through ten we see the pronouns those and they being used throughout the text. Then, in verse eleven there's a hard shift to "YOU".
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12
Now we start to see a new picture of what's happening. We've had this mindset of Y'shua preaching to the multitude, and this may be the case later in the text, but what we're actually seeing is a lesson to those new disciples of His.
All these groups of people, Americans, North Koreans, Hamas, Israel, rapist and pedophiles, all gathered around but not to come together as one. This was not a dinner party. There was likely ugly looks, mumbling, all kinds of tension in the crowd, but they gathered in pursuit of Y'shua. They were not where they should be spiritually but they heard about the Messiah and they pursued after Him, traveling a great distance to hear Him. The disciples would not have liked this situation at all and they drew close to their Rabbi and He looks at them, referring to the ones they hated in the crowds, and He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled…
This list, being in a Chiastic Structure, then points to a central focus that these disciples need to grab ahold of. If they are seeking righteousness then mercy for these people must be included. You can read about this further in To the Point
After going through this list about the crowd He looks at His disciples and says, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you for My sake". These people will be accepted into the Kingdom and you will teach this and you will be persecuted for it as the prophets of old were persecuted for this same reason.
That reference to the prophets of old will have a portion of this painting as well. Later in this sermon, Y'shua talks about the Law and Prophets. He did not come to do away with them but to establish them, to live them out, to show us the example of what was intended by them from the beginning, that we live in an image of God so that the gentile would also come to Him. It's was supposed to be an expanding of the Kingdom but was sniffled through the same feelings these disciples were feeling at this time and Y'shua wanted them to know that these ones you're having issues with are invited and you will come around to accepting them, and like the prophets of old who taught the same things, you will be persecuted.
This is likely the first time you've ever heard anyone say that Messiah Y'shua was not talking to the crowd during the "sermon on the mount" message. This makes this teaching obscure and non-conforming with popular teaching. Could I be wrong in this understanding?
Early this morning I was laying in bed meditating when Y'shua's next words flooded into my mind. Using the pronoun ”you” again He starts saying, “you are the salt of the world” and “you are the light of the world”.
When I look at how our Messiah responded to the different peoples (disciples, crowds, Pharisees) He would never have made this statement to the crowd. The pagans from Decapolis, the Herodians from Judea, the Gentile from Syria and beyond the Jordan; these are not the salt and light. They are darkness and He never would have told them otherwise. Those who follow Jesus are salt and light. His statement was obviously directed at them and the picture is painted that Y'shua was not preaching to the multitude. He was talking to His new disciples and telling them the Kingdom is for these outcast as well as the Jew and they will be bringing them into Gods Kingdom.
We may have been looking at the Beatitudes somewhat wrong based on the audience. Who is the audience and how does this shape the way we understand the Beatitudes?
As far as the Beatitudes, while there are many ways of viewing definitions and meanings of the list of attributes, we must make sure we are aligning which definitions and meanings based upon the context of the situation He was speaking in.
When it comes to His light and salt statement, we’ve always known the followers of Y’shua are supposed to be salt and light. Supposed is the key word. How have we done with the outcast? It’s human nature to humble ourselves just enough for those we can put up with for a moment. Yet, the picture here is of people that were not just tolerable but groups of people that welled up emotions of destain and disgust in these new Jewish followers. These are the ones Messiah is saying you are the salt and light to.