Rejusticing the Sermon on the Mount (and the New Testament): Passionately Pursuing Kingdom of God Justice (Revised, March 2014)
Introduction
For me, the key verse in the Sermon on the Mount is Mt. 6:33 (NEB): "Seek first God's kingdom and his justice. . . ." The twin themes of the Sermon are the kingdom of God and justice. A supporting verse, 5:17, Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets; the Law and the Prophets were built on love (Mt. 22:39) and justice. Note 5:43-48 Be perfect in love. The Pharisees, supposedly strict followers of the Law, were criticized by Jesus for neglecting "justice and the love of God." (Luke 11:42). All the rest of the Sermon should be interpreted through the love, justice, kingdom of God framework.
Nicholas Wolterstorff, highly regarded Reformed philosopher-theologian, asserts that English translations of the NT and English-speaking theologians have "dejusticized" the New Testament---a very serious charge. The result is a spirituality divorced from justice---a heretical stance represented by the Pharisees, the gnostics and many white American evangelicals. This essay is my attempt to "rejusticize" (reunite personal righteousness and social justice) the NT gospel through a fresh interpretation of a key NT passage---the Sermon on the Mount.
Nicholas Wolterstorff (Justice), Joseph Grassi (Informing the Future), and Thomas Hanks (The Subversive Gospel) and the New English Bible all agree that dikaiosune should be translated in Mt. 6:33 as justice---"Seek first God's kingdom and his justice. . . . " Grassi calls Matthew "the gospel of justice"; he asserts that all through the Sermon dikaiosune should be translated "justice" instead of "righteousness" as is done in most English translations. Hanks prefers to translate dikaiosune as "liberating justice."
A reader of the NT in Spanish, French or Latin would discover the word justice approximately 100 times versus 16 times in the English NIV. I would suggest to readers of English translations that we use justice or justice-righteousness to capture both the personal character and the social justice (Jubilee justice) meanings of dikaiosune.
Joseph Grassi declares that there are two basic themes in the Sermon on the Mount: the kingdom of God/heaven and justice. The Sermon sets high standards for personal character/righteousness and for being a citizen of the kingdom of God in terms of doing justice for the poor and oppressed. From personal character should flow generous works or acts of justice. Personal righteousness and Jubilee justice must be tightly tied together like Siamese twins. A good Hebrew who claimed to be personally righteous had to also be socially just; see the example of Job, chapter 29. If she/he were not socially just, that would invalidate the claim to be personally righteous.
Poor in Spirit: the humble or the humbled?
Matthew is the only place in the NT where this rather puzzling phrase "poor in spirit" is used. The proper interpretation of this phrase has been the matter of some debate. A common interpretation is that it refers to the humble---the ones who recognize their need of God in contrast to those who are proud in spirit. This interpretation is useful in some ways, but I would like to suggest a different interpretation which takes into consideration a larger scriptural context.
In Luke's version of the Sermon, we do not find the phrase "poor in spirit" but only the word "poor". Ptchos means dirt poor, desperately poor, destitute, poor-poor; this is a description of abysmal poverty, a state of poverty. The next question is : Why are the poor poor? Are they victims of misfortune such as being born blind or a famine? Are they lazy? Are they poor because of oppression? All three causes are true at times, but the scriptures emphasize oppression as the primary cause.
In Isaiah 61:1, we find the phrase "good news to the poor." In the NRSV and the CEV translations, the Hebrew is translated as "oppressed" instead of "poor." The fullest translation might be "good news to the oppressed poor." In Isaiah 61:3, these oppressed poor are described as having a "spirit of despair." Thomas Hanks in his excellent study of the OT teaching on oppression (God So Loved the Third World in which he claims there are 555 references to oppression), asserts that "oppression smashes the body and crushes the spirit."
In Exodus, chapter six, the Hebrew slaves are described as so "broken in spirit" (RSV) by cruel bondage (a system of oppression) that they could not hear/believe Moses who reported to them that God had just told him that He was going to free them from slavery pronto.
Based on this larger scriptural teaching, the phrase "poor in spirit" might be best understood as broken in spirit, humbled in spirit or having a spirit of despair. Note how Jesus goes out of his way to include the concept of oppression in Luke 4:18; to "release the oppressed" is not found in the original Isaiah 61 passage in most translations. Jesus adds this phrase from Isaiah 58:6. Apparently Jesus wanted to make it crystal clear that oppression was the primary cause of poverty.
If some poor persons are so badly broken and crushed by oppression that they cannot believe God, do we have a hopeless situation on our hands? Almost, unless some person or some church steps up and initiates justice on their behalf to relieve them from their hopeless state of oppression. An historical example: abolitionists trying to abolish slavery.
Justice for the Oppressed Poor
Soon after Mt. 5:3, we find the answer for those broken in spirit---the call to "hunger and thirst for justice." Those who follow Christ are urged to passionately pursue justice---kingdom of God justice, Jubilee justice, social justice. There is no other answer; charity alone is not enough; love alone is not adequate; justice must be front and center.
What will happen if we passionately pursue justice for the oppressed poor? If we confront the rich and powerful oppressors, all hell may break loose. But Jesus strangely warns and reassures us (5:10), that persecution may be our lot.
Yes, if we seek first (diligently, urgently), kingdom of God justice, persecution may come our way. But if we persist, Romans 14:17 assures us that sooner or later peace/shalom will follow justice. My paraphrase of Romans 14:17 is: "The kingdom of God is justice (NEB), shalom and joy in the Holy Spirit. . . ." Acts chapter four records both persecution and justice, shalom and the Holy Spirit; 4:1-22, persecution; 4:23-31, the Holy Spirit; 4:32-37, the rich sharing so generously that there were no poor among them!
Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets
After the beautitudes, follows an exhortation to be salt and light, to do good works. Good character alone is not enough; out of character must flow an abundance of good works. Out of love, justice should flow. This emphasis fits perfectly with the following verses about Jesus coming to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets were built upon two principles---love and justice. When Israel failed to practice love and justice, and instead engaged in idolatry and oppression, the prophets called for radical change, repentance. Israel failed to repent so judgment followed.
A key sentence in this passage: "unless your justice/righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you certainly will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Doing justice/righteousness, doing Jubilee justice is the key to being a good citizen in the kingdom of God. Loving your neighbor assumes doing justice on behalf of your neighbor, especially if your neighbor is poor and oppressed. Or, to put it another way, a Jubilee style justice puts the kingdom of God first, the needs of the oppressed poor first.
To sum up 5:13-20, I believe a person, a church is salt and light in a community when they do good works:
* good works are works of love and justice
* works of love and justice bring glory to God
* works of love and justice fulfill the Law and Prophets
* works of love and justice bless the poor, those humbled by oppression
* works of love and justice incarnate the kingdom of God here on earth
Even beautiful music is only noise if not accompanied by the harmonies of love and justice; the church is to take love and justice into the streets, among the poor. From the stained glass windows of the church building to the tear stained faces of the oppressed.
The Lord's Prayer
The first item in the Lord's prayer is the kingdom of God and the call to incarnate it here on earth. Justice for the poor is not specifically mentioned in the prayer, but the previous teaching on the poor and justice should inform a person's understanding of "Thy kingdom come."
God and Money
Soon after the Lord's prayer section, Jesus bluntly states that: "You cannot serve both God and Money." When Money becomes your idol, greed will often drive you to engage in oppression; often the most vulnerable such as powerless widows and orphans are exploited. This is why James (1:26-7) warns against worthless religion, religion with no justice, and calls for pure religion, a religion that puts afflicted/oppressed widows and orphans first. James warns the church not to honor the rich and dishonor the poor. Why? Hey, stupid, "Is it not the rich who are exploiting/oppressing you?"
Conclusion
The rhythm of life in the Sermon on the Mount is built around personal character and a Jubilee type justice. Both are required of citizens of the kingdom; neither are optional choices. The Sermon on the Mount begins with personal character and ends with doing---doing justice. Combine 7:21-23 and 24-7. Those seemingly deeply religious folk who are not also doers of love and justice are, in realiity, evil doers---doers of injustice. Be a wise doer of justice, not a foolish doer of injustice/oppression. Don't let religious piety, worship, even miracles, substitute for DOING the will of God (loving your neighbor by doing justice). Choose justice and live; choose justice and bless the poor.
Application
May the church of Jesus Christ flood the communities of this great land with the beautiful melodies of love and justice.
May the kingdom of God that is hovering just over the horizon be brought nigh by the church to replace the centuries of oppression that have crushed America's ethnic poor.
May America heed Pastor/Pope Francis' exhortation:
* from the sanctuary to the streets---relocation
* from exclusion to inclusion---reconciliation
* with liberty and Jubilee justice for all---redistribution
Holy Spirit, flow and blow from coast to coast so we can fulfill our divine destiny---bring your just kingdom here on earth. Our manifest destiny is kingdoming, not conquering.
The Spirit-anointed American church can, if it will renounce the American Trinity, incarnate kingdom of God love and justice in oppressed ethnic communities, using the Sermon on the Mount as the blueprint for action.
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