Matthew 5:2

Thursday, 7 November 2024

Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: Matthew 5:2

“And having opened His mouth, He taught them, saying” (CG).

In the previous verse, it noted that Jesus, seeing the great throng of people, ascended a mountain where He then sat and His disciples came to Him. The narrative continues with, “And having opened His mouth.”

It is an idiom indicating that a purposeful oration is about to follow. An excellent example is found in Psalm 78 –

“Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” Psalm 78:1-4

The words of this Psalm are ascribed to Christ in Matthew 13:35, thus showing that the Psalm is messianic in nature, anticipating Him and His ministry. Other examples of this idiom are found in Scripture. Next, it says, “He taught them, saying:/.”

The words of Jesus here are called a teaching. Though this is commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount, it is not simply a life application sermon, but an oration concerning learning which is to be considered and acted upon by His disciples. It is important to remember the context of Jesus’ words, however.

He is speaking to the people of Israel while they are still under the law of Moses. There are words taken from this teaching that are often misunderstood or misapplied because the context is not properly considered.

Life application: There are a seemingly innumerable number of idioms to be found in the Bible alone. If rightly considered, they can help us get a fuller understanding of what the intent behind the words is.

Someone, or a group of people, may be called stiff-necked, or it may be said that a person stiffened his neck. The psalmist says he turned his feet to the Lord’s testimonies. At times, someone will raise his eyes or open his mouth.

Sometimes, idioms are obscured through the translation. In Acts 17:18, Paul is called a seed-picker, although most translations don’t use that term. When something is said to have been done ten times, it means a multitude of times. On and on, the idioms are found for the person who carefully considers what is being presented.

Getting a literal translation of the Bible will help, but even they will ignore the most literal translation at times. But they will generally help to discover real treats found in the word of God.

Take time to enjoy your time through the Bible. Don’t rush as you read. Instead, consider the words and think of why they are stated as they are. Your time in Scripture will be quite rewarding if you take the time and allow it to fill your thoughts and contemplations.

Glorious God, what a treat Your word is. We thank You for it and pray that You will open our eyes to see wonderful things in it as we read and study it. Thank You, O God, for Your precious and wonderful word. Amen.