Study 3
“You are the light
of the world”
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Foundation of Kingdom
“And behind this teaching on the
way of life is the fact that the
pattern character which he paints is
his own. It must be so, for he is the
King, the Anointed of the Lord, and
from him the Kingdom must take its
character and its law; by him the
ground of citizenship must be
defined.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - The Teaching of the Master, pg.89
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Manifestation of the Christ
Character
Matt. 5
V.13-16 Revealing the Christ character Relationship with the world
The new law in operation
V.17-20 New and old law – True
righteousness must abound
The law of the heart
V.21-24 Dealing with hatred in the heart
V.25-26 Humility in error – judgement and
mercy – Peace-making
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Foundation of Kingdom
“Jesus has pictured for the disciples
the character which has its foundation
in faith in God as Father, and in a
clear conviction in His Kingdom and
His righteousness. This character is
revealed in the very conditions of evil
which exist in the interim before the
Kingdom is established; in those
conditions the character must retain
its unfailing savour which belongs to
the covenant with God.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - The Teaching of the Master, pg.89
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Salt of the Earth
 Salt a necessity of life in warm climate used in the preparation of food (Job 6:6)
and animal fodder (Isa. 30:24). Had two main
uses:


Preservative - arrested decomposition;
preserved from corruption.
Condiment - giving zest and savour to food.
 Symbol for faithfulness (Num. 18:19; 2
Chron. 13:5; Lev. 2:13), purity and zest (Mk.
9:49-50). Occurs 8 times N.T. = immortality.
Stands in this context for the savour and strength
of the Christ character revealed in the Beatitudes.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Salt of the Earth
“To the man of the world meekness,
poorness of spirit, and the rest, are
the insipid virtues of the feeble, and
under-vitalized, the inferior; they are
the mark of the ‘slave morality’. To
Jesus exactly the reverse is true: the
men of God are not insipid but
‘salty’; it is they who have savour
and strength of character.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - Teaching of the Master, pg.81
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Rubbing salt into wounds
 Salt stings open wounds like leprosy.
 Flesh will react and fight back!
 Persecuted for righteousness – V.10-12.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Salt of the Earth
“When human pride brings rivalry
among the disciples he can tell them
to ‘have salt in themselves, and have
peace with one another’. The salt of
humility gives the savour of peace.
But this potent quality of life does
not belong to men by nature. How is
it attained? Only by the selfdiscipline which is self-sacrifice.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - Teaching of the Master, pg.81
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Lampstand
 “candlestick” – luchnia – lampstand.
Occurs 12 times in N.T.
 The lampstand is a symbol for the
ecclesia – The Israel of God.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Ye are the light of the world
Mat 5:14-15 - Ye are the light of the world. A city that
is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a
bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto
all that are in the house.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Concealing the Light
 Light here represents the fruits of knowledge
revealed in the character portrayed in Vv.3-12.
 Christ mentions two ways this light can be
concealed:
Matt. 5:15 - Putting it under a bushel - a dry
measure of capacity used for buying and
selling in the course of daily living - it stands
for the interference of ‘business’ and the
‘cares of life’.
Luke 8:16 - Putting it under a bed - a place for
repose - it stands for the antithesis of the
bushel - inactivity and slothfulness.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The Law Fulfilled
Matt. 5:17-18
 “destroy” – kataluo – dissolve, destroy,
demolish.
 “fulfill” – pleroo - to make full, to fill up;
i.e. to complete.
 “jot” – iota – the smallest Hebrew letter.
 “tittle” – keraia – a little horn; very small
projections that differentiate Hebrew
letters.
 “no wise” – ou me – never, by no means.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
An Abounding Righteousness
Matt. 5:19-20
 “break” – luo – loosen, unbind, release
from bonds. Even ‘jot’ and ‘tittle’
principles must not be diminished.
 “least in kingdom” – Everlasting
penalties apply to diminution of God’s
law in practice or teaching.
 “exceed” - perisseuo - to superabound,
be in excess, excel.
 “no case” – ou me - never, by no means.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Righteousness of Law versus Faith
Scribes and
Pharisees
“The
Law
written
in their
hearts.”
Law of
Divine
morality Law fulfilled
Law fulfilled
and
principles
Sadducees
Moses
Rabbis
“The Law
is…holy,
just and
good.”
Lawyers
“The Pharisee, beginning from the outside,
fails to reach the core. Jesus, beginning with
the innermost principle, works outwards to
externals.” – Teaching of the Master, pg. 108
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Hunger for Righteousness
“...it is precisely as his own spiritual
sense grows that the godly man
becomes more aware of the gulf
between the holiness of God and the
corruption of man.”
“....they
cannot
wish
for
the
righteousness of God to be manifest
in the earth unless they long for it to
be fulfilled in themselves.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - Teaching of the Master, pgs.45-52
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Murder in the Heart
Matt. 5:21-24
 “angry” – orgizo - to be provoked to
anger, be angry, be wroth.
 “Raca” – (Aramaic term of contempt) empty, i.e. a senseless, empty headed
man.
 “council” – sunedrion - the Sanhedrin,
the great council at Jerusalem - 71
members - scribes, elders, prominent
members of the high priestly families .
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Humility towards God
“Meekness is first a disposition
towards God; an awe of Him which
results in confident dependence on
Him as righteous and faithful. But
humility towards God has its effect
in a forgiving and self-abnegating
spirit towards men.”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - Teaching of the Master, pgs.41,44
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Reconciliation must precede
sacrifice
 “fool” – moros - dull or stupid (as if shut
up), that is, heedless, (morally)
blockhead.
 “hell” – gehenna - The valley of Hinnom,
south of Jerusalem, where the filth and
dead animals of the city were cast out
and burned.
 “gift” – doron - A present; specifically a
sacrifice.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
What is Peacemaking?
“The peacemaker is not one who
plasters over a crack so that it does
not show, nor one who takes the easy
line of surface amiability. Peace is
made by the love which builds up.”
“’The repairer of the breach’ (Isa.58:12)
- what better synonym for a
peacemaker?”
Bro. L.G. Sargent - Teaching of the Master, pgs.68-69
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Humility when in error
Matt. 5:25-26
 “Agree” – eunoeo - to be well disposed,
of a peaceable spirit.
 “adversary” – antidikos – opponent in a
law suit.
 “quickly” – tachu - quickly, speedily
(without delay).
 Early submission is advisable when in
error – Man’s justice system is very
‘unforgiving’.
The King’s Manifesto for Life
Next Study
(God willing)
Study 4 – “The Law of
the Heart”
The King’s Manifesto for Life
The King’s Manifesto for Life