I am continuing my exploration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book The Cost of Discipleship, and although I may. have lapsed on my blogging since returning to work after spring break, I have been carefully reading chapters daily. When I wrote last I was just embarking on chapter 6, the Beatitudes. Before I talk about this chapter and others, however I must confess that I have spent some time pondering the question: Why did Dietrich choose this event in Jesus's life to launch his first publication? What was it about these sayings in particular that so moved him to use the sermon as the driving force for the bulk of this book?
Well, I know, I know. I mean it does contain the Beatitudes, The Lord's Prayer, and that salt of the earth stuff! I understand that it is the longest teachings of Christ. But I was thinking that it is so widely popular, and that there are so many sermons, bodies of work, and theses about this portion of Christ's life in Matthew,that it seemed odd to me that he would have chosen it as the central backbone of the book. Studying his life in the seminary at the time of his writing the manuscript, I have decided that perhaps he was truly looking at the sermon aspect of the account as Christ really speaking to him and his students personally.
With that said, Chapters 6-13 really address the idea of the Sermon on the Mount with Bonhoeffer's commentary about the setting of the sermon, what Christ was truly saying in portions of the verses, and how pastors and followers were to use the words of the Lord in daily life. Of most interest to me was the distinction he made between the people on the surrounding mountain and his disciples gathered near him. Bonhoeffer points out that the words of Christ to the listener were meant to be interpreted differently, according to the follower. He points out that the setting of the sermon demonstrates this because the disciples are the ones to whom he is really speaking as the crowd listens in to his teachings. Now, I do not know if I am correct about this. As I have said I am certainly no theologian, but it seems to me that he is pointing out to us all that while we are may be called to Christ, those that leave all and pick up and follow God, such as a clergy and missionaries and the sort,are bound to Christ by a different sort of relationship.
This theme to me seems to permeate through the chapters as the sermon is discussed: the blessed, the salt, the anger at the brother, lust in the heart, oath saying, revenge.
"He addresses his disciples as men who have left all to follow him....He is the Lord of all life and demands undivided allegiance...this distinction raises insoluble difficulties. Am I ever acting as a private person or only in an official capacity?"
Of course the passages are not all directed personally to those who preach in official capacity, but there are enough moments in the discussion of this sermon to make me view the words of Christ from the viewpoint of all of those Pastors and Reverends I have known over the years who have used these chapters in Matthew to make me focus on myself, as a member of their flock, and to use the thoughts and words to create a better relationship with God and those around me. I feel that reading these chapters flipped that viewpoint for me, and this enabled me to think again about the fact that while we all strive to live to be blessed and the salt of the earth so to speak, maybe we should also realize that those persons who have been called directly by Christ have additional expectations from the Lord. Listening to Bonhoeffer speak about the disciples makes me understand that sometimes those duties are particularly challenging for the official, the person in charge,the ones giving the sermon. The book makes me wonder if they feel a need occasionally just to be a part of the crowd on the mountain hearing the words of Jesus, looking over the Sea of Galilee.
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