Part 3 of 6 of the theme 'Nonviolence' by Gijs van den Brink

In the Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5-7), it is clear that Jesus is preaching the nonviolent message of the "Servant of the Lord. He calls for nonviolence, entirely in line with what was prophesied about the "Servant" by Isaiah.
It is important to note to whom He is speaking here. He is not speaking to all people in this speech on the mountain, and He is certainly not issuing a manifesto for a government. A government cannot give to everyone who asks for something or turn the other cheek to one who uses violence (Rom. 13:4).

In Mat. 5:1-2, it is clear for whom Jesus' message here is intended. "At the sight of this crowd He went up the mountain, and when He had sat down, His disciples came to Him. He took the floor and taught them with this speech." 'His disciples came to Him. Jesus addressed His disciples primarily in the following teaching (Mat. 5:3-7:27) (vs. 2: them), to those who had joined Him, while the people listened at some distance (Mat. 7:28). The Sermon on the Mount does not contain a general morality or rule of life. Within the historical context in which Jesus delivered this speech, the words are a call to His followers as the new messianic people of God. It concerns a way of life that belongs to the Kingdom of God. By living this way, they will be an example and a sign of the peace that God wants to give to the world (Mat. 5:16).

Next time we will discuss how Jesus imagines this practically and address turning the other cheek.

Author: Gijs van den Brink
From: Study Bible Magazine

This is part 3 of 6 concise blog on the theme of "Nonviolence" from Study Bible Magazine, Some of which we will be posting online in the near future. We hope this will help you understand the Bible better!