Some commentary and articles that have been espeically helpful for me this week: Girardian Reflections on the Lectionary, Proper 4, by Paul Nuechterlein & Friends.
"Matthew's emphasis on acting according to Christ's teaching seems to contradict Paul's emphasis on faith over works. As a Lutheran, I feel that the Luther's understanding of faith was inadequate to reconcile the two. It's a bigger problem than simply saying that a faith response produces the fruit of good works, as if it is a sequential matter: faith then good works, not the other way around. If faith is understood as a collective experience poured out on the church through the Holy Spirit, ala Alison's understanding in the essay excerpted above, then good works are all part and parcel of living in the faith of Christ." Preaching Peace commentary, Proper 4, Jeff Krantz & Michael Hardin.
"Our text today is also about the crisis that is provoked when we stand before Jesus eschatologically. Now this text is often used to justify how others will not fare so well, and Christian preachers have frequently used this text to excoriate ‘false Christians’, that is, those who do not look, talk and act like them. This is a failed reading of the text. A proper reading of the text will invoke self-examination, not the examination of others. When we recall that 7:1-6 encourages this self examination and that Jesus’ judgment sayings are grounded not in God’s judgment upon us but upon our own self judgments, it seems clear that in 7:21-23 we are called to ask about ourselves whether or not we in fact have falsely identified with Jesus." Process and Faith Lectionary Commentary, Pentecost 2, Paul S. Nancarrow, "...bringing process-relational thought to people of faith."
"The Deuteronomist’s concern with internalizing the words of the law and Paul’s concern with internalizing the revelation of God in Jesus come together in the passage from Matthew, as Jesus speaks to "everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them." Hearing and acting on Jesus’ words are the twin components of an active faith. Both of those components are necessary. Hearing without acting is not enough; it is like building on sand; it cannot produce anything with foundations or lasting effects in the actual world. But likewise, acting without hearing is not enough; Jesus makes an unusual reference to some who "prophesy in his name, and cast out demons in his name, and do many deeds of power in his name" and yet at the end are unknown to him." Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources. "What amazed the crowds was the authority with which Jesus taught. (Not necessarily what he said.) The contrast is presented between Jesus' authority and the authority of their scribes. Where did scribes derive their authority? From their knowledge and training in scriptures! This suggests to me that knowing all the right stuff (even the stuff from the Bible) still isn't quite the way through the narrow gate or hard road or into the kingdom of heaven; but being in a relationship with God. Being grounded on the firm foundation of God's power and revelation in Jesus. One could be a wiz at Bible trivia and still not totally trust God for his salvation. In fact, a wiz at the Bible may have more troubles totally trusting God, because it would be easy to trust his/her knowledge about the Word. Those who, like the Pharisees, are superb at obeying the law, may trust their obedience rather than the power of God. Those who know Jesus as Lord and do mighty miracles in his name, may trust their own abilities rather than God. There are two ways presented in the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. One way is based on looking at what I do -- especially looking at the good, obedient, religious stuff. The other way is based on trusting what God is doing; seeking to know and love us, filling us with Spiritual sap, so that we are good people, who bear good fruit motivated by something deep inside of our being, being our rock foundation that keeps us secure in the midst of the storms of life." Although he does not speak directly to the Matthew text, check out "Under the Surface of Life: Just As I Am," The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey with Jesus Foundation, for another perspective on righteousness. "The right relationship we long for with God, the "rightness" of it and any "righteousness" we experience, are of a special sort. In the powerful Pauline notion of "justification by faith alone" that Protestants have celebrated to describe this life with God, so succinctly preached in Martin Luther's sermon "Two Types of Righteousness" (1519), we make some important distinctions. This righteousness is alien to us, rather than natural to us, for it comes from Jesus and not from us. It is a righteousness declared by God rather than demonstrated by us. It is thus a passive righteouness for which we render nothing, but instead receive as a free gift, not an active righteousness that we earn through effort. This righteousness is imputed by God to us from the outside rather than realized by us on the inside. In short, God offers us this righteousness out of sheer mercy rather than as our earned merit. Thus the "marvelous exchange" (Luther): everything that Christ is and has is freely credited to me, and all that I am He assumes. Rather than earning a relationship with God through trying to justify myself, a hopeless task doomed to fail, God welcomes me whoever I am, wherever I am, no matter what I am, and as Charlotte Elliott so beautifully insisted in her famous hymn, just as I am."