O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ...

Chapter 1Introduction1.1 BackgroundMatthew 6:19-34 forms a coherent unit within the first of the five major discoursesfound in Matthew. This first discourse in Matthew is famously known as the Sermonon the Mount (=SOM). A reading of the SOM can be confusing. While believerstoday remain captivated by the SOM, it’s pertinence for the believing communityremains somewhat elusive and perhaps misunderstood. To further aggravate theattempt to understand this infamous sermon, the fact exists that of all the Sermons inthe history of the world, this one has been given the most attention. Ergo there is amaze of scholarly literature available. This doesn’t necessarily help in a believer’squest to grasp its content.Of all the approaches to the interpretation of the Sermon there are several mainviews which stand out as the most significant. Firstly, there is the view that says theSOM cannot be followed. Allison (2005:127) believes the sermon puts out what lookslike impossible demands, for example Matthew 5:48 asks sinful people to be perfect.Justin Martyr said, “I am aware that your precepts in the Gospel are so wonderfuland so great, that I suspect no-one can keep them; for I have carefully read them.”According to Allison, Karl Barth and Eduard Thurneysen both saw the Sermon on theMount as a self portrait of Jesus, i.e. it was something Christ alone could embodyand practice.Amongst those who believe the SOM cannot be followed there is the typicalLutheran view (Blomberg 1992: 94; Carson 1994: 165; McArthur 1978:17). This viewsees the SOM as something like the law; something which shows up human