by Roland – There is something broader going on here. Notice that Jesus repeatedly uses a distinctive rhetorical formula, i.e. “They (the hypocrites) have received their reward…… But you will receive your reward.” What is he referring to when he says, rather strangely, “they have received their reward”?”The Jews had always expected God to establish his kingdom on this earth. This had always been Israel’s eschatological hope and expectation. Throughout the entire sermon on the mount, Jesus is announcing the coming of his father’s kingdom on earth ( as it is in heaven)–announcing the inauguration of a new world order, which required the adoption of a new worldview (which was what Jesus was trying to introduce to his audience). He expressly refers to the kingdom seven times in chapters five and six. Make no mistake about it – he was, as he was invariably always doing, talking kingdom, either expressly and overtly or impliedly and referentially. Again, his Jewish audience knew what he was talking about.
When Jesus said “they have received their reward,” Jesus was talking about kingdom. God will give us whatever kingdom we want. He has respect for our own free will. No one will ever be converted to the kingdom of God against their will – especially not by threats of eternal torment. If we want to live in a kingdom where we are the sovereign ruler, God will give us that, i.e. “the hypocrites have received their reward.”But, if on the other hand, we want to live in the newly – announced and inaugurated kingdom of God, then we are to confess with our tongues, bow with our knees, be salt and light, be inclusive unlike the Pharisees, to be internally transformed [What Earnie calls muscle memory] ( so that it will be our new nature to act fully human so that we no longer get angry, obsess with lust, give up too easily on our marriages, mete out disproportional retribution, resist evildoers or call attention to our good works – and we pray for those who persecute us and love our enemies)–all because this is the shape and substance of the promised coming of heaven to earth.
The good news is that we get to pick our own reward. The bad news is we get to pick our own reward. Some will pick king “Me.” (This, by the way, is what I suspect happens with the Hitlers: he has already proven that he would rather die than bend his knee to anyone other than himself.) Others will pick King Jesus. There will be goats and there will be sheep. They well, for the most part, divide themselves. As for me and my house,………Baaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!! Roland
Roland, what a wonderfully deeper explanation than simply saying the Pharisees’ reward was the adulation of their colleagues and the masses. And I like that those who choose the Once and Future King get rewards right here and now as well as in the future. We have hope right now, beyond all earthly hope, that even though we loose ourselves in despair and loose loved ones to Malayasian Flt 370 and to the mudslide at Oso, WA, we still have hope, a real and stable hope, not a flimsy, mythical hope, but one grounded in reality! What reality you may ask? In none other reality than the resurrection of Jesus, for we preach him crucified AND RESURRECTED!!!!!!!!!!
For the True Kingdom,
Jack Irwin
Preach it brothers! And Roland, Scripture through the Kingdom lens reveals how connected it all is. Your take on this passage has made me pick up and start to re-read my copy of “How God became King” by NT. Maybe I’ll absorb a bit more this time. -john
So “…we get to pick our own reward.” That immediately made me think of “be careful what you wish for.” I really like your comments about God’s respect for our free will and that no one will be converted against their will. I guess there’s an invitation and we decide what to do with it? That is really challenging.