I have always loved stories. I have always loved storytelling. Much of the Old Testament is written as narrative. The word narrative can pretty much be a synonym for story as it refers to a sequence of events or and account of events, experiences, or the like. The Old Testament narratives document factual historical events (regardless of what the experts of this age insist upon). These events range from the creation of The Creation to the prophets both major and minor. In between the two we find the stories of repeated transgression and repentance. We see the rise and fall of kings and the exile of a people...twice. Once from the northern kingdom and once from the southern kingdom.When we enter the New Testament we not only see a historical account of the life of Christ we see something embedded in the life of Christ that ups the ante in terms of the topic of storytelling. We see the Parables or Jesus. In particular I focus on the Parables that are expounded upon during the Sermon On The Mount as a whole.
It portrays the repentance and the righteousness that belongs to the Kingdom. The stories show us what the individual human life and the human within a community looks like when both are under the merciful and gracious rule of an perfect Almighty God. True believers are called to be different, not like the world or the culture that surrounds us. We can try to fit in but if we are to truly obey the Word of God we will not fit. We will be square pegs in round holes. This is one of the primary themes in Jesus' storytelling and parables. When referring to prayer in Matthew 6 Jesus' tells it like it is:
"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8
The personalities of the Beatitudes are exactly the opposite of those of the world's. They shine like blinding lights in the darkness of this age and the ages before us. The Lord spins his story around this central theme and He is the Master Storyteller telling the only story that matters. The stories of Christian values, ethical standards, devotion and community among other things. The information within the stories is critical but it is Jesus' delivery that adds the credence and gravity to them. In Jesus delivery we see the unstated demand to "pay attention" to them. Even now 2000 years after their delivery they have the power to stop people in their tracks with their profound introspection and truth.
"But I say to you..."
When I say delivery I mean authority. Those that initially heard Jesus speak were astounded. Whenever Jesus spoke it was with authority.
"And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ~Matthew 7:28-29
"They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribe" ~Mark 1:21-22
"No man ever spoke like this Man!" ~John 7:46
Furthermore Jesus proved His authority by casting out demons, unclean and evil spirits.
"Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. Mark 1:23-26
...and what did this power and authority mean?
"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." ~Matthew 12:28
The word authority comes from the Latin word auctoritas. The basic meaning of this Latin word is creator. The word author also comes from this word. When we talk about the authority of the Lord, we recognize that as the Creator of the Universe he has the power to govern the universe. Just as an author can determine what takes place in the short story he or she writes, Jesus can determine what takes place in the universe he has created.
In the Greek the word used is ἐξουσία [Strongs G1849:exousia] meaning delegated influence or authority; the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)
We can sometimes catch glimpses of this type of authority when preachers are on the money and the Word is working through them to get the message to the listener. Discerning believers know when this happens. It isn't the quality of the persons voice, their projection of their voice, how their dressed or how they handle themselves. It is the quality of the message they are expounding upon. If the Truth is in the message and it is accurate the Spirit will be moving and it rarely, if ever, has anything to do with the human delivering it and it has everything to do with the message itself.
"For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it." 2 Corinthians 10:8
This authority is still in this text. Anyone that reads it and truly understands it cannot deny this.
The Sermon On The Mount encompasses Chapters 5 through 7 in Matthew and a conservative guess is that they were delivered in a single day as it is a discourse not a collection of sayings accumulated by Matthew. The rhetorical devices and depth in these stories is without parallel. There have been multi-volume works written on these chapters alone. They have been expounded upon for centuries and in is quite possible the depths of these stories have not yet been fully plumbed.
Along the lines of storytelling there is an additional aspect of this "story" that needs to be told. The time after Jesus' ascension and departure. Just was those before Christ had done and just like Jesus himself had done...so too would those after Jesus do the same. The story and message of the Gospel would be spread and saved for posterity by and oral/aural tradition until they could be written down and documented.
The Gospel was originally a storytelling tradition as the books of the Gospel did not begin to be written until approximately 50AD so they needed to proliferate in another manner. So these Jews-turned Christian relied on the method that had been part of there culture for centuries, perhaps millennium. Oral storytelling. The character of the Gospel's storytelling tradition even is reflected in the word that bears its name. Gospel is is a shortened version of an Old English word "Godspell (cf Germanic gut + speil)." "God" meaning "good", and "spell" meaning "tale" or "good tale". The initial definition of the word spell also shows the original power of the Godspell. In the Old English it was the closest equivalent of the Latin word that it came from "evangelium" which in turn was the transliteration of the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον "euangelion/euaggelizo". This Greek word also had two parts "eu" more or less meaning "good" and "angelion" meaning "angel" or angelic" which was an allusion to messenger or a message -- "good message" or more specifically "good news" as the message delivered from and angelic being would've been news or revelation.
"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ~Luke 2:9-11
In Greek the word euangelion could refer to not only the message but also the messenger who delivered the message. It is only later in the that the word became associated to books, specifically the Books of the New Testament known as The Gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
In the case of Jesus' story it is a sacred story that generation after generation have successfully build righteous lives upon it. If this alone was the only reason to tell the story it would bears repeating forever. But it is not for that alone but much more, it is for salvation or those that hear and believe it.
"Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." ~John 20:29
It is for God's greater glory as long as their are ears to hear it...
"He who has ears, let him hear" ~Matthew 11:15
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." ~Matthew 28:19-20
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." ~2 Timothy 4:2-5
...and now you know the rest of the story. (thanks Paul Harvey)
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