Do you concur with Luther?
In Matthew it appears that those who are “poor in spirit” and those who are “persecuted for the sake of righteousness” receive the kingdom of heaven. We see the qualifications and we know one has to be these two things in order to receive the kingdom of heaven. But what is the prerequisite?
Martin Luther says, “Christ is saying nothing in this Sermon about how we become Christians, but only about the works and fruit that no one can do unless he already is a Christian and in a state of grace” (qtd. in Stott 37). I want to concur with Luther because that is the right Christian thing to do. In order for me to be sure I need to ask who Jesus is talking to. Matthew tells us that He is speaking to His disciples. What are His disciples? They are Jewish. The word Christian does not even exist yet.
At first it seems that one would have to be Jewish in order to follow through with this sermon. At the end of Jesus life His disciples scattered. They went back to previous occupations and were unsuccessful with living life at the standard found in this sermon. It was not until they received the Holy Spirit that they were better able to live as Jesus lived. To live the sermon is to live as Jesus lived. So in order to be “poor in spirit” and “persecuted for the sake of righteousness” one has to be a follower of Jesus. Ultimately one has to be a follower of Jesus to receive the kingdom of heaven.
So do you concur with Luther? Grace and peace to you.
Because of Jesus,
David Knapp
Works Cited
Stott, John R. W. The Message Of The Sermon On The Mount. Downers Grove, Illinois, 1978.
(photo by chop1n)
David Knapp
One of the things that has helped me understand the thinking of men like Luther when broaching subjects such as this one, is to consider what Jesus meant when he said that he came to fulfill the Law(Matthew 5:17). Don’t get me wrong, but I am not certain Jesus ever intended for us to “become” Christians in as much as he meant for us to live out the Spirit of the Law beause we possess love for the Father and love for our fellow man because of the love of Christ poured out into our hearts. If doing that means we “become” Christian, so be it. The bottom line is that not until the love of God rules us will the Kingdom of God ever become real.
Thanks for your comment. I concur with you.