1 [a]When he saw the crowds,[b] he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He began to teach them, saying:
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Introduction to Lent: Our Journey to the Sermon on the Mount
Introduction to How Humans Understand
Our Focus IS ON Living the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount, as presented in Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7, is about divine morality the social architecture that God designed for the primate species and particularly humans. In these chapters, Jesus teaches what it means to live within God’s creation, in union with Him, what He calls the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is what is what is achieved by living within divine morality, called tsedeq by the ancient Hebrews. The Sermon on the Mount reveals how God has designed human social architecture, inviting us to dwell within it according to divine morality. Jesus’s words guide us on how to live in harmony with God’s intentions, experience the grace that comes from such living, and understand the consequences when we fall short of this divine calling.
Within modern culture, we often find ourselves living fragmented lives, shaped by constant judgment and competing ideologies. Our daily existence is frequently marked by a pervasive sense of disconnection, not only from one another but also from the deeper purposes for which we were created. The relentless pursuit of consumerism encourages us to measure our worth by material possessions, while intellectualism can foster an environment where knowledge is prized above wisdom and genuine human connection.
This cultural landscape can lead to a kind of enslavement, where our identities become defined by what we own, what we know, and the social roles we perform, rather than by authentic relationships and spiritual fulfillment. We are conditioned to seek validation through external achievements, social status, and digital engagement, often at the expense of inner peace and communal belonging. In this way, our lives can become fragmented and anxious, making it difficult to experience the harmony, trust, and unity that are foundational to our intended way of being.
Moreover, modern society’s emphasis on individualism over community can erode empathy and mutual support, leaving many feeling isolated despite being constantly “connected.” The noise of advertising, political polarization, and curated online personas often drowns out the quiet call to live simply, love deeply, and engage meaningfully with both God and neighbor. Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward healing our fragmented culture and rediscovering the fullness of life envisioned in the Sermon on the Mount.
Understanding the Beatitudes: Language, Culture, and Covenant
Before we delve into the complexities of Matthew’s Beatitudes, it’s essential to recognize the profound influence of language and cultural context on how these teachings are interpreted and lived. The Beatitudes, as presented in the Gospel of Matthew, serve as a bridge between the communal, oral traditions of ancient Hebrew society and the more individualistic, literate culture of the Greco-Roman world. By examining both the Greek rendering of the text and the covenantal perspective rooted in Hebrew tradition, we gain a richer understanding of how these blessings have shaped Christian life, inviting us to explore their significance not only for personal spiritual growth but also for the building of authentic, compassionate communities.
Greek Rendering and Authorial Perspective in Matthew’s Beatitudes
It is important to note that all the canonical Gospels are preserved in Greek, and Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount faithfully reflects the Greek text and its nuances. From the perspective of the Gospel author, the eight Beatitudes in Matthew are presented as discrete ethical virtues, each standing alone as an ideal to be individually cultivated, in the same way we do in contemporary Christian understanding. This Greek rendering shapes the traditional interpretation, emphasizing personal development and moral achievement in the life of the believer. However, as we begin our study of the Beatitudes, our approach will be rooted in Hebrew tradition and Greek, offering two different lenses through which to understand these blessings and their Hebrew communal significance, and the other that is twofold: one for the individual of modernity and the other for modern Christian communities.
Covenant, Human Connection, and Social Architecture
Humanity’s relationship with God is fundamentally covenantal, meaning it is not only a spiritual bond but one that is lived and experienced through our social interactions and community structures. God’s covenant is not a legal or contractual agreement like those found in modern society; rather, it is a one-sided gift in which God offers His blessings freely, inviting us to receive them. Our reception of these blessings is not based on formal obligations, but is shaped by instinctual social behaviors, such as trust, belonging, and mutual care, that create the conditions for us to truly enter and benefit from God’s covenant relationship.
The ways in which humans organize themselves, families, communities, churches, are shaped by both cultural evolution and the neurological wiring that enables empathy, cooperation, and moral discernment. Our brains are built for social connection, and these neurological capacities form the foundation of how we experience God’s covenant: through acts of compassion, justice, and belonging within the social architecture that defines our lives. Understanding the development and grounding of human social structure helps us see how God’s covenant is continually manifested and renewed in real, tangible relationships.
Covenant, Community, and the Foundations of Christian Life
Throughout history, before the time of Jesus, all cultures operated within a similar neurological framework known as an oral noetic. An oral noetic refers to a way of knowing and communicating in which knowledge, traditions, and values are transmitted verbally, through storytelling, song, and communal dialogue rather than written texts. This oral tradition was vital in shaping social architecture, as it fostered strong interpersonal bonds, collective memory, and shared identity within communities.
In ancient Israel, the covenantal relationship between God and His people was fundamentally shaped and sustained through oral tradition, what scholars refer to as an "oral noetic." Before the widespread use of written texts, the stories, laws, and promises of God's covenant were passed down by word of mouth in families and community gatherings. This oral transmission was not only practical but deeply relational, emphasizing memory, repetition, and communal participation. For instance, in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Moses instructs, “Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.” This passage shows that the covenant was perpetuated by daily conversation and teaching, not through written record but by living, spoken word.
Similarly, Exodus 19:7-8 describes Moses relaying God's covenant terms orally to the elders: “So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people. When he set before them all that the Lord had ordered him to tell them, all the people answered together, ‘Everything the Lord has said, we will do.’” Here, the community’s acceptance of the covenant is enacted through collective hearing and response. The oral nature of these interactions ensured that the covenant was not just a set of rules, but a living communal relationship, reinforced by shared memory and spoken affirmation. This oral foundation remained central until the gradual emergence of written scripture, which began to preserve and formalize what had always been sustained by the voice and the ear.
In contrast, a literate noetic arises when written language becomes the primary means of communication and record-keeping and no longer requires one to experientially have knowledge of the language of the culture as with an oral noetic, as the linguistic structure stands outside of culture. By this, if you can read the language of an oral culture but you have never experienced the culture you cannot understand the meaning of the words you read. This is the reason that the Greek speaking Jews who lived outside of Palestine in the 3rd Century BC translated the Hebrew Bible, or Tanach, into Greek; they could read the text but could not understand its meaning.
Literacy enables more abstract thinking and the preservation of complex ideas over time, but it can also lead to a more individualistic approach to knowledge and social organization, as written texts are accessed and interpreted independently. Understanding these distinct modes of communication helps us appreciate how covenantal relationships and communal life were formed and sustained in ancient societies, and how the transition to literacy began to reshape the ways people interacted and understood their place within God’s covenant.
Jesus’ Teaching: The Way to Live in God’s Covenant for Oral and Literate Cultures
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers a practical guide for living within God’s covenant, a way of life that speaks powerfully to both oral and literate cultures. While Matthew’s account is preserved in Greek, a language of literacy and abstraction, it is the Gospel’s rich detail that bridges the gap between the oral traditions of ancient Hebrew society and the emerging literate noetic of the Greco-Roman world. The oral noetic, grounded in storytelling and communal memory, shaped the daily life and spiritual identity of God’s people. Matthew’s careful narrative captures both the communal, relational emphasis of oral culture and the reflective, individual character of literate culture, presenting Jesus’ teachings as universally accessible instructions for living in the Kingdom of God.
This period of Hebrew history was one of transition, as communities moved from oral tradition to written record. The author of Matthew, by providing the most detailed account of Jesus’ teachings, enables us to understand how the Sermon on the Mount can be interpreted through both lenses: as a communal ethic rooted in shared memory and spoken word, and as a guide for personal reflection and growth within the literate noetic we inhabit today. Jesus’ message remains timeless, offering a blueprint for how God’s covenantal people, whether in the ancient world or modernity, can embody compassion, justice, and belonging in daily life.
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
1 When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
Matthew 5:1 marks the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, setting the scene with Jesus noticing the crowds and ascending the mountain. As he takes his seat, a gesture signifying authority in the Jewish tradition, his disciples draw near, ready to receive his teaching. This moment not only establishes Jesus as an authoritative spiritual leader but also signals that his message is intended for both his closest followers and the wider audience gathered before him. Traditionally, Christian interpretation views this passage as the formal introduction to a pivotal discourse, emphasizing the universal reach of Jesus’ teachings and the significance of his role as teacher for all people, not just his immediate disciples. This introductory verse is often seen as a symbolic invitation, drawing listeners into the transformative message that follows.
By contrast, when viewed through the lens of ancient Hebrew culture and language, the Beatitudes are not simply a collection of isolated virtues, but rather a portrait of the essential qualities that define an individual living harmoniously within a community of spiritually like-minded people. This communal embodiment becomes a living reflection of the imago Dei, God’s image made manifest in human form, through the practice of restorative justice, the life blood of Hebrew communal life. The Beatitudes, therefore, sum up the character of one who is fully integrated into a community marked by compassion, humility, mercy, and peacemaking, where each person’s pursuit of communal life within God’s covenant contributes to the flourishing and healing of the whole.
Central to the concept of community within divine morality or social architecture is the recognition that everyone is unique and valued by God, possessing distinct personalities, intellects, gifts, and interpersonal qualities. These differences are not obstacles but rather enhancements to the communal expression of restorative justice. When each person’s unique qualities are embraced and shared, they enrich the whole, allowing the community to reflect the fullness of God’s image in diverse and harmonious ways.
This perspective is echoed in Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts in his letters to the early Christian communities. In Romans 12:4-6, Paul writes, “For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them.” Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, he states, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To everyone the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”
Paul’s vision for community mirrors the holistic view of Hebrew culture and language and covenantal communal life: the diversity of gifts and qualities among individuals is intended to glorify God and strengthen the bonds of compassion, humility, and reconciliation. In this way, the community becomes a living embodiment of restorative justice, where every member’s contribution is valued and essential to the flourishing of all.
2 He began to teach them, saying:
Verses, 5:1-2, serve as Matthew’s formal introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus and takes a seat on the hillside. This moment not only establishes Jesus as teacher and spiritual leader, but also frames his message as universal, extending beyond his closest followers to all who are willing to listen, and by extension the universal teacher of God’s covenantal relationship with His chosen people. So, this is just not about a time long lost in the past, but it is as relevant today as when Jesus gave his teaching on tsedeq in Galilee.
Exploring Community, Justice, and the Beatitudes
Even though our lives today are shaped by different languages, cultures, and societal structures, we remain a covenantal people. Unlike the broader communal life of ancient Hebrew culture, our sense of community is often centered around family units. Yet, this covenantal identity persists and finds new expression in the church, which becomes our spiritual community. The church serves as the gathering place where believers form relationships, support one another, and live out the principles of restorative justice, compassion, and unity, continuing the legacy of covenantal belonging in a way that fits our modern context.
As a covenantal people, the church is now the space where we collectively embody God’s promises and strive to reflect the imago Dei. While our communities may not resemble the all-encompassing nature of ancient Hebrew society, the church offers a communal life rooted in faith, shared purpose, and mutual care, carrying forward the essential spirit of God’s covenant into our present-day experience.
Symbolism of the Mountain: A Place of Revelation and Invitation
Before we read the text, it’s helpful to know that Jesus, as a Hebrew, spoke with a Hebrew oral mindset. In Hebrew oral tradition, the most important point, the outcome or greatest good, is presented first, and then the reasons behind it are explained. This is different from our modern, literate way of thinking, where we usually build up to the best part at the end. As you read the Sermon on the Mount, which spans three chapters, keep this in mind: Matthew begins with the Beatitudes, a direct description of life within a covenantal communal people, the fullness of restorative justice, from within communal life it is a description of an individual within a community who is fully living in accord with the Tanach, Old Testament, and the teaching of the Torah, the basic commandments of God, and therefore what Jesus proclaims as the kingdom of God. The remainder of chapters 5 through 7 then unfold the characteristics and practical expressions of this justice in everyday life. I encourage you to approach the text with this perspective, recognizing that Jesus’ verses 3-10 present the heart of his message, while the following 101 verses over the rest of Chapter 5 and all of Chapters 6 and 7 present Jeus’ teachings that offer the details and ways this vision is lived out.
The Beatitudes Traditional Understanding of the Beatitudes: Verses 3-10
Traditionally, the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10 are viewed as a list of ethical attitudes or virtues to be individually cultivated and practiced by followers of Jesus. Each Beatitude is often interpreted as a distinct moral quality, such as poverty of spirit, meekness, mercy, or peacemaking, to be pursued and embodied in daily life. This approach tends to see the blessings as a set of ethics, each standing alone and inviting personal reflection on how one might grow in these virtues. While this perspective highlights the importance of personal transformation and moral development, it sometimes overlooks the interconnectedness or communal context that may also be present within the text. Nonetheless, viewing the Beatitudes as separate ethical ideals has shaped much of Christian thought and spiritual practice, offering a roadmap for living out the values of the kingdom in practical and tangible ways.
Additionally, I suggest we approach the Beatitudes in our traditional Christian way and in a communal holistic way, the way Jesus presents them, for two key reasons. First, the Septuagint’s translation, our Old Testament, of the Hebrew Tanach misinterpreted, meaning there is no equivalent word or concept in Greek, the original meaning of the most important teaching, a concept called tsedeq appearing about 300 times in the Hebrew Tanach, shifting the emphasis away from restorative justice and community toward more individualistic and abstract concepts, particularly when interpreting the central theme which is also the theme of the Sermon on the Mount and within a literate noetic. (Noetic means the functional way the brain constructs what is real for humans and therefore is neurologically based and constructed through language. If the language is not constructed out of a fully phonetic alphabet it produces an oral noetic, the noetic of Jesus. If the language is constructed out of a fully phonetic alphabet the noetic that is produced is called literate, like modern languages and ancient Greek. Therefore, the Apostle Paul had a literate noetic. The primary difference between an oral and literate noetic is the oral noetic is incapable of conceiving or perceiving anything that is abstract, while abstract thought is the hallmark of the literate noetic, and it is almost impossible for the literate noetic to understand the oral cultural world. The Greek interpretation of the Hebrew concept of tsedeq was righteousness.
Second, early Christians did not fully grasp the profound impact that an oral versus literate noetic, the way of knowing and perceiving reality, has on interpretation, this is modern knowledge. The oral noetic is inherently communal, rooted in tangible relationships and shared experience, while the literate noetic tends to be abstract, focusing on categorization and dissecting reality into discrete parts. Recognizing this difference helps us understand why the Beatitudes were traditionally read, in early Greek speaking Church, as isolated virtues rather than as an integrated vision of life in community.
Limitations of Legalistic Righteousness Versus Divine Morality
While the traditional approach of viewing the Beatitudes as individual ethical virtues is valuable for encouraging personal growth and moral reflection, it remains rooted in a framework that often equates righteousness with adherence to a set of prescribed standards. This can subtly lead to a legalistic mindset, where ethical achievement is measured by compliance with formulas or rules, rather than by the deeper, relational dynamics of restorative justice found in ancient Hebrew covenantal communal relationship with God. It can create spiritual barriers to the transformation of the heart in favor of our intellect. Unlike divine morality, which is grounded in freedom, compassion, and communal restoration, righteousness understood in this legalistic manner risks prioritizing external conformity over authentic transformation and mutual care. So, when viewed through righteousness they become codified virtues and thereby equate them towards eternal salvation, that is unlike the Ancient Hebrew’s covenant with God. The pursuit of righteousness through formulaic ethics may inadvertently create boundaries and exclusions, whereas God’s covenantal relationship with His people invites all into a shared journey of healing, reconciliation, and loving relationship, transcending the limitations of individual achievement and legalistic standards, all are the children of God.
Beatitudes as Portraits of a Divine Community: Verse 3-10
Rather than listing virtues to be individually attained, Jesus' Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10 offer a holistic vision of life within a community shaped by God’s covenant and shepherded by the Father, the Hebrew concept of restorative justice, reconciliation, and radical compassion. Each blessing describes the lived experience of those who participate in this kingdom, emphasizing mutual care and healing over judgment or exclusion. So, Jesus’ presentation is about revealing what the individual who has achieved living within God’s covenant is like. Such a person reflects all the listed attributes in the Beatitudes and just not one or two. While in traditional understanding achieving one or more is what is attempting to be accomplished.
Unlike the traditional, and valuable perspective, view that treats the Beatitudes as a list of ethical virtues for personal development, the perspective from within the Torah sees these blessings as a lived reality of compassion, empathy, and restorative justice within a community. Within God’s covenant, the Beatitudes are not isolated moral achievements but a holistic reflection of how individuals and communities embody the fullness of God's kingdom. This means to manifest all eight characteristics in daily life, and any Beatitude not yet fully realized serves as an invitation for continued growth and deeper transformation both for the individual and community. This approach shifts the focus from individual accomplishment to ongoing communal restoration, where each person is called to continually nurture and experience the fullness of these blessings together.
Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God is not simply an invitation for individual moral achievement, but rather a vision of a community where all eight Beatitudes are actively embodied and made visible through the lives of each person, however in accordance with the unique personality and gifts each person has. In this understanding, the community becomes instrumental in shaping and supporting the spiritual growth of every individual, as each member both gives and receives the blessings described by Jesus. The collective lived expression of these characteristics, humility, compassion, meekness, justice, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and perseverance, manifests the very reality of the kingdom of God or heaven on earth, meaning life within God’s covenant. In this way, the fullness of the Kingdom is realized not in isolation, but in the shared, ongoing journey of restoration, healing, and love within the community itself.
As Paul writes, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness (tsedeq, divine morality), peace, and joy in the holy Spirit.” This underscores that the heart of God's kingdom is not found in external observances or ritual distinctions, but in the lived reality of justice, reconciliation, and spiritual joy within the community of believers, that is unlike individualism in modernity. That is not to say, divine morality is unattainable for an individual in modernity, but like-minded individuals are very helpful.
Integrating the Kingdom of God into Modern Church Community
To truly incorporate the kingdom of God as described in the Sermon on the Mount, the Church must intentionally bridge the gap between the individualistic tendencies of the literate noetic and the holistic, relational richness of the oral community. This means fostering environments where believers are invited not only to pursue personal spiritual growth, but also to immerse themselves in shared practices, mutual care, and restorative justice, reflecting the communal reality Jesus outlines. By encouraging regular communal worship, shared service projects, and open-hearted fellowship, the Church can help individuals transcend abstraction and experience the lived, tangible blessings of God’s covenant.
In practice, this involves creating spaces where diverse gifts and personalities are celebrated and integrated, and where the Beatitudes are not merely ideals to be admired, but characteristics actively embodied through relationships and collective action. Small groups, intentional communities, and ministries focused on reconciliation and compassion offer practical frameworks for nurturing this kingdom vision. The literate noetic’s strengths, critical reflection, organization, and education, can enrich the community when paired with the oral tradition’s emphasis on storytelling, shared experience, and embodied wisdom. As each member participates in both giving and receiving the Beatitudes, the Church becomes a living witness to the transformative power of God’s covenant, making the kingdom of heaven visible and accessible in daily life.
From the perspective of the ancient Hebrews, living within divine morality was not primarily about securing a place in paradise after death, but rather about experiencing the fullness of God's covenant in the here and now. The emphasis was on communal restoration, justice, and relationship with God, rather than on the individualistic pursuit of eternal reward. This approach precluded the realization that such life would automatically continue after death in what we now call heaven; instead, the focus was on embodying God’s kingdom in daily life, trusting that the blessings of covenantal living were sufficient and complete in themselves, and eternal.
Considering this, we too should cultivate the same attitude, resisting the temptation to center our spiritual journey solely around personal salvation or the destination of heaven. By shifting our attention away from an individualistic notion of going to heaven and death, we allow our divinely given gift, our capacity for social architecture, or the creative structuring of society and community, to flourish within the world. If we become preoccupied with individual reward, we risk letting these gifts be influenced and undermined by the failures and shortcomings of a world governed by forces opposed to divine restoration, such as the Angel of Darkness. Instead, our calling is to build communities grounded in divine morality, where the light of God’s covenant overcomes the darkness and transforms the world through collective healing and love.
Religious Communities as Living Witnesses of the Covenant
Within the Christian Church, this instinct to live out God’s covenantal relationship finds a profound and visible expression in religious communities. These communities, such as monastic orders, convents, and intentional Christian fellowships, intentionally structure their lives around shared prayer, mutual service, and communal living. For those shaped by a literate noetic, religious communities stand as tangible witnesses to the possibility of embodying the Beatitudes and the covenantal ideals in daily life, demonstrating that the values of humility, compassion, and restorative justice can be made real through collective commitment and spiritual practice at every level within Christian faith communities. Their presence within the broader Church serves as both inspiration and challenge, inviting all believers into a deeper, communal experience of God’s kingdom, even amid the abstractions and individualism of modernity.