#5 Bonhoeffer’s Understanding of the Sermon on the Mount
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Bonhoeffer) presents as a complicated figure in history. At one time he is a theologian and pacifist and at another a spy who tried to kill Hitler. Bonhoeffer’s theology that lead him to become who he is known as today is formulated primarily around the text of the sermon on the mount and his background within Lutheran theology. His views on the sermon on the mount are set out in his book The Cost of Discipleship. In this paper we will explore how Bonhoeffer’s understanding of the sermon on the mount justified his view of pacifism as well as his later attempts to assassinate Hitler. We will discuss Luther’s two kingdoms, Luther’s understanding of the sermon on the mount, the concept of costly grace, how Luther and Bonhoeffer restored the sermon on the mount, Bonhoeffer’s idea of discipleship, how Jesus and Bonhoeffer divide the sermon on the mount, Bonhoeffer’s reversal of the two kingdoms, grace and pacifism, and chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the sermon on the mount and what Bonhoeffer thought of them.
Luther professed the idea of two kingdoms. That is one kingdom of man and another of God. Luther thought that our actions ought to be governed by both God and state. We must obey the laws of the state while also obeying the word of God. This approach works well until the Christian is told by the government to break faith. Bonhoeffer built on Luther’s idea of the two kingdoms by answering this question. Bonhoeffer did so by placing both kingdoms on the same plane. Whereby we are to follow God first and follow the state to the best of our ability while being sure to not break the law of God.
Before Bonhoeffer’s rise to prominence within the Confessing Church in Germany the prevailing view of the sermon on the mount was based on Martin Luther’s interpretation. Luther believed that the sermon on the mount served as an example of the unattainable perfect Christian life. Luther taught that it was not something that the majority of Christians ought to strive after. In Luther said that as a Christian you ought to “govern yourself by the gospel and suffer injustice toward yourself as a true Christian.” Luther quotes Jesus in the sermon on the Mount when he said “but I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” By this Luther understood that the Christian does not respond to violence in this world as it is a part of the Christian life. But then Luther clarifies his view by saying that if we take this perfect Christian practice to the extreme we would have to give up our homes and our families to any who would ask for them which would be negligence on our part as God has given them to us. Luther then quotes Jesus again when he says “When he had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, “Is that the way you answer the high priest?” Thus to turn the other cheek is not meant to mean to literally turn the other cheek but rather to “be willing and patient to suffer whatever is necessary, and not seek revenge or strike back.” This shaped his advice to the participants of “the peasants war when Saxon farmers rose in rebellion against their oppressive overlords” The peasants believed in a right to rebel but Luther said that while their cause might be just it is unchristian to resort to violence.
In The Cost of Discipleship Bonhoeffer outlines his view of the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7. Bonhoeffer’s view is formulated around the concept of grace. He describes grace like this “cheap graces the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace.” Cheap grace is the idea that grace is bestowed on humanity through Christ’s sacrifice and is therefore infinite and without limits. With this perception Christianity invites us to sin freely asking nothing in return. Whereas costly grace is the idea that in order to receive this grace we must be ready and willing to give up our all and to follow Christ. As Bonhoeffer says “costly grace is the treasure in the field” alluding to Matthew 13:44.
With the concept of grace Bonhoeffer sets out to open up the meaning of Matthew 5-7 for the present day. Bonhoeffer said that in Luther’s time it was believed that the perfect Christian life was only achievable for a few who chose to become monks. When Luther left the cloister, he realized that he must reaffirm his commitment to God and cling to costly grace. Which is to say that he must continue to follow the words of Jesus as set out in the sermon on the mount. Bonhoeffer says that this revelation of Luther was degenerated from the “justification of the sinner in the world” to “justification of sin and the world.” Thus through time the costly grace of the reformation was turned into the cheap grace present in Bonhoeffer’s day and ours.
Bonhoeffer adds to the idea of Costly grace by introducing the steps necessary to this grace. The first step is the call to discipleship. Which is defined as a definite first step towards Jesus. It is like choosing to not look back when you set out on the path of costly grace such as in Luke 9:62. Bonhoeffer supposes that “only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes” are equally true. Bonhoeffer goes on to talk about what true obedience looks like for the Christian in chapter 3 and then continues to show how that leads to discipleship in chapters 4 and 5.
The sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 can be broken up into paricope’s like this: the beatitudes 1-12, disciples and the world 13-20, personal relationships 21-48, giving to the poor and prayer 1-15, fasting and wealth 16-24, the cure for anxiety 25-34, judging others 1-6, prayer 7-12, the narrow gates 13-14, a tree and its fruit 15-23, and two foundations 24-29. Whereas Bonhoeffer first offers a historical analysis of what has already been said of the sermon on the mount in the first 119 pages of the Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer then breaks down the sermon on the mount into three pieces Matthew 5 of the extraordinariness of the Christian life, Matthew 6 and the hidden character of the Christian life, and Matthew 7 the separation of the discipleship community. This difference calls to question what the purpose of the Cost of Discipleship actually is. The book challenges the prevalent Lutheran belief in Germany at the time by rephrasing what it means to be a Christian. Many people understood the Church to be an arm of the state. The Church was ruled by and paid by the state. Thus the state could speak about and influence Church matters but it was less common for the Church to influence the state. Luther’s understanding of the two kingdoms rendered German Christianity in the 19th century unprepared for the extremism of Hitler. While the idea of the two Kingdoms has some merit it does not work when the state has control over the Church and its practice.
Bonhoeffer instead of following the two kingdoms approach understood his responsibility to God and the state to be on the same plane. At the center of it was is God. If the state and God are at odds then Bonhoeffer understood that we must always lean towards God. In Hitlers Germany this meant Bonhoeffer was at odds with the state. Bonhoeffer was a proponent of pacifism but he favored action over inaction. In preparation for the coming storm in Germany Bonhoeffer wanted to learn from Gandhi about how he managed to resist the government without violating his religion in hopes that he could create a parallel in Christianity.
After clarifying what grace is and its types Bonhoeffer sets out to justify his view with the view of Luther. Dietrich Bonhoeffer offered a revolutionary understanding of the sermon on the mount to Lutheranism by building on Luther’s legacy. But the history of Bonhoeffer’s pacificism is complex. I think that Bonhoeffer continued to be a pacifist as he tried to assassinate Hitler. Bonhoeffer had to contend with the issue that inaction would undoubtably cause more suffering and pain than action would. This created a moral dilemma, Bonhoeffer could sit by and not be the cause of any pain and suffering. But he would be allowing pain and suffering to occur which makes him party to the crime unless he acts to end the conflict.
Bonhoeffer talks about chapter 5 of the sermon on the mount. Verse 5 says, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” About this verse Bonhoeffer says that the meek are to accept violence patiently. He says that those who possess the earth by violence shall lose it when God reforms the earth, then the meek shall inherit the earth. It is notable that Bonhoeffer had to encounter his own words. Hitler conquered most of Europe through violence and in the end he lost it as Bonhoeffer and Jesus predicts. But Bonhoeffer did not stand by and let Hitler conquer he acted to stop Hitler. It could be said that Bonhoeffer died because he broke faith with what he believed about the sermon on the mount. But Bonhoeffer also had such faith in God based on his precept of costly grace that he could righteously stand up for what he believed to be true. which is that you are supposes to stand up and defend the poor and needy as stated many times throughout the Bible such as in “open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” This view is justified by the fact that “if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Furthermore we may use the example of Jonathon in 1 Samuel that says “perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.” Thus Bonhoeffer’s actions are justified since God may have chosen to use him.
In Chapter 15 of the Cost of Discipleship Bonhoeffer discusses the meaning of the Lord’s prayer. In discussing Matthew 6:10 Bonhoeffer says that we place ourselves in the will of God by praying that his will be done. But this is meaningless if we are unwilling to act according to the will of God. If we pray that the poor and needy are fed yet do not feed them we become hypocrites. In the same way if we pray the will of God is done on earth and that justice take place we become hypocrites if we do not try to serve God in our actions. In the same way when Bonhoeffer chose to pursue justice in Germany by overthrowing Hitler he was righteously attempting to carry out the will of God and the prayers of millions around the world. In concluding his thoughts about this verse Bonhoeffer says that of course God does not need our prayers but rather we become partakers in the will of God.
In chapter 19 there seems to be a veiled message about Hitler. Hitler used the nickname the wolf. While talking about Matthew 7 Bonhoeffer says that there are many divides. There is a division between those who follow Christ and those who don’t and in the end there is a final division between true followers and false followers of Christ. In discussing verses 15-20 Bonhoeffer says that false prophets will rise up. That a false prophet like a wolf has risen up who talks and acts like a Christian, and that dark powers are at work. Bonhoeffer then shows how true Christians will be separated from the false ones. We must “ask by what criterion Jesus will accept or reject” us. The question is has Jesus known us or not? If we follow his word alone he will see us through the day of judgement by grace. That is by costly grace.
In conclusion Bonhoeffer’s understanding of the sermon on the mount justified his view of pacifism as well as his later attempts to assassinate Hitler. We went over Luther’s two kingdoms, Luther’s understanding of the sermon on the mount, the concept of costly grace, how Luther and Bonhoeffer restored the sermon on the mount, Bonhoeffer’s idea of discipleship, how Jesus and Bonhoeffer divide the sermon on the mount, Bonhoeffer’s reversal of the two kingdoms, grace and pacifism, as well as all three chapters of the sermon on the mount and how Bonhoeffer understood them.
Bibliography
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. n.d.
Luther, Martin. Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount . n.d.
New American Standard Bible. Lockman Foundation, n.d.
Wilson, Sarah Hinlicky. Martin Luther Pacifist. October 18, 2017.
