............................................................................................................................................
The Sermon on the
Mount: AKA “Marching Orders”
Story 48
The promises of
Scripture do not tell of a perfect world in our lifetime or this era of human
history. That can only happen when sin and death are utterly destroyed… at the
return of Christ.
But those who
follow Christ are meant, in the power of His Spirit, to spread the goodness of
the Kingdom of Heaven as far as possible in their lifetime through the
transformation of new hearts given over to Him.
The teachings of
the Sermon on the Mount are beautiful and radical.
They speak of the
radically different life that the disciples of Christ are called to… transformation
that goes to the deepest places of the mind and heart.
There are few sections of the Bible that are read and celebrated
as much as the Sermon on the Mount.
It is found in chapters five through seven in the book of
Matthew. It contains some of the most beautiful ideals ever written down by a
human hand.
As Jesus was preaching and teaching along the edges of the Sea
of Galilee and throughout the region, He spoke over and over again about the
Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God).
When Matthew wrote his story about Jesus’ life, he brought
together all the good things that Christ’s listeners were so amazed about and
put them into one section for his readers.
They answer the question: How are members of the Kingdom
of Heaven supposed to live?
But why is this such a big deal? Why does humanity need anyone
to teach us that?
Well, does anyone have to wonder if we are in trouble as a race?
Consider the crimes of malice that go on every day across the
globe: malicious threats, muggings, theft, greed, murder, lust, abuse.
The earth is a cursed world where men and woman and children
live in sin and compromise. We don’t all commit every sin that is possible, but
every one of us has sin mingled in with even the best things we do.
The human race constantly rebels against the Lord.
We hurt ourselves and destroy each other, from the most common
forms of gossip to the horrors of war and genocide.
By comparison, the words of the Sermon on the Mount are pure and
bright.
Jesus invaded the history of humanity on a game-changing rescue
mission. He came to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
In Heaven, God’s will is followed perfectly. As followers of
Christ obey the will of God on earth, they become a part of establishing His
Kingdom here. They become an important part of God’s grand rescue.
Before the terrible curse ever happened, God knew it was coming.
He understood that His beloved people would fail, and He already had a plan to
save them.
When Adam and Eve fell into sin, they handed the human race over
to the power of Satan.
Some people have a problem with the idea of Satan. He might seem
like a crazy, outdated superstition.
But the Old Testament and New Testament assert that Satan is a
real personality, a fallen angel, who is the powerful, evil enemy of God.
It is interesting that as the discoveries and inventions of
science grew in society, a lot of people started to reject the idea of Satan or
the demonic.
It is as if he had be a part of the system of the natural
human world to exist at all.
Satan is part of supernatural existence, outside of the
limitations of our natural universe.
As scientist learn about new dimensions and whole aspects of our
universe such as dark matter that they cannot explain even though they are part
of the natural world, it might be necessary to reevaluate the authority
science should have in telling the human race what is possible.
This is especially true about the supernatural which does not
claim to follow the rules of nature. We might begin to consider having a
little bit of humility about what the spiritual systems of faith have said
about what has been going on around us all along.
According to the Bible, Satan is a real being with his own
personality, and he is utterly evil. He seeks to destroy the human race.
When Adam and Eve sided with Satan in the Garden, they made a
choice that separated them from their mighty Lord.
But God was not going to let it end there. Over time, He raised
up a nation through the children of Abraham.
It was the early stages of His salvation plan for the world.
They were to be a holy people, set apart from all the other nations to have the
special, powerful presence of God among them.
Through the leadership of Moses, God gave them the Law to help
them understand the purifying, healing ways of God.
It was meant to help the Israelite nation honor their holy,
righteous, and loving Lord with devotion and obedience.
It was meant to create a structure of healthy boundaries that
supported the process of loving one another, bring protection and
security for the poor and vulnerable, and prepare the way for their Messiah.
Now Jesus was going to show how high and pure and exalted that
Law was always meant to be.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught how the clean, bright,
holiness of God was meant to penetrate to the deepest thoughts and motives of
the heart.
Jesus was preparing for the day when He would conquer the power
of the curse.
He knew that He was going to defeat death and sin through His
own sacrifice, and that He was going to rise again.
Death could not hold Him. He also knew He would ascend on high
and take His seat at the right hand of God on the throne of Heaven.
As Jesus looked forward to God’s plan, He knew that once He was
seated on the throne, He would send His Spirit to all those who put their faith
in Him.
The Holy Spirit would empower His disciples to be His
wholehearted servants. They would spread the Good News of His Kingdom
throughout the world.
They would live in devoted allegiance Christ as He ruled and
reigned over them from Heaven.
They would be called the Church, and the reign of Christ’s
Kingdom would grow on earth through them.
The Spirit would give them strength to overcome the Kingdom of
Darkness.
But Satan and his demonic host will continue to viciously fight
until the time when Jesus returns and brings final, total defeat against all
His enemies.
From the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection to the time we
are in now, those who follow Jesus are living out the Kingdom of Christ in a
cursed world.
Sometimes it is called the time of the “now” and the “not yet.”
Believers already have Christ as their King and Priest, and they
already have His Holy Spirit within them.
But we are still waiting for the time of the “not yet.”
That is when Jesus will return to utterly overpower His enemies
and establish His Kingdom in fullness.
We already have His life in us and are a part of His Kingdom,
even as we wait for His Kingdom to come in fullness.
The Sermon on the Mount tells how He wants his disciples to live
on earth for His Kingdom in the meantime. They are marching orders.
Many of the things in Matthew’s sermon are also found scattered
through the stories in the book of Luke as well.
Jesus probably used similar stories over and over as He
proclaimed God’s truth to His thousands of listeners across the nation of
Israel.
JENNYGRACE777
There
are many things about Christianity that are so arrestingly beautiful...a God
who came to die for His people, for example, that I have never been able to
move away from a love for Jesus. However, I had a number of years when many
parts of the Bible were terribly confusing, even angering to me. How could God
tell Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? How could God command the Israelites to commit
genocide against the Canaanites? At times I used these questions as a reason to
walk away from the faith entirely. Then I had the privilege of going to a
university with scholars who understood God's story. They helped me see His
goodness and justice as he has worked over thousands of years to reach a dark,
fallen, sinful race of humans with His plan of salvation. My deep desire is to
give others a chance to see God's glory in His story...the story that is our
story...as well.
Matthew 5-7 English Standard Version
(ESV)
The Sermon on the Mount
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the
mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his
mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who
mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the
merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when
others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you
falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the
earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be
restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and
trampled under people's feet.
14 “You are the light of the
world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do
people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives
light to all in the house. 16 In the
same way, let your light shine before others, so that[b] they may see your good works
and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Christ Came to Fulfill the
Law
17 “Do not think that I have
come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them. 18 For
truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a
dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore
whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others
to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever
does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I
tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger
21 “You have heard that it was
said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be
liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say
to you that everyone who is angry with his brother[c] will be liable to judgment;
whoever insults[d] his brother will be liable to the
council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell[e] of fire. 23 So
if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your
brother has something against you, 24 leave
your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother,
and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to
terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest
your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be
put in prison. 26 Truly, I
say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.[f]
Lust
27 “You have heard that it was
said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’28 But I say
to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your
right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is
better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown
into hell. 30 And if
your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is
better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go
into hell.
Divorce
31 “It was also
said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of
divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that
everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality,
makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits
adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again you have heard
that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely,
but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say
to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the
throne of God, 35 or by the
earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the
great King. 36 And do
not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what
you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.[g]
Retaliation
38 “You have heard that it was
said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say
to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps
you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if
anyone would sue you and take your tunic,[h] let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if
anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.42 Give to
the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from
you.
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was
said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say
to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that
you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on
the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if
you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same? 47 And if
you greet only your brothers,[i] what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You
therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Giving to the Needy
6 “Beware of practicing
your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for
then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the
needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and
in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you,
they have received their reward.3 But when
you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing, 4 so that your giving may be
in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Lord's Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you
must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by
others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when
you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who
is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not
heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they
will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be
like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9 Pray then
like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.[j]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,[k]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,[l]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.[m]
hallowed be your name.[j]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,[k]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,[l]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.[m]
14 For if you forgive others
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if
you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.
Fasting
16 “And when you fast, do
not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their
fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received
their reward. 17 But when
you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your
fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And
your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[n] destroy and where
thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and
where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the
body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but
if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the
light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two
masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.[o]
Do Not Be Anxious
25 “Therefore I tell
you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food,
and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at
the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which
of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[p] 28 And why
are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they
grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I
tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if
God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith? 31 Therefore do not be
anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall
we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek
after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them
all. 33 But seek
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things
will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be
anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for
the day is its own trouble.
Judging Others
7 “Judge not, that you be not
judged. 2 For with the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be
measured to you. 3 Why do
you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log
that is in your own eye? 4 Or how
can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when
there is the log in your own eye? 5 You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
6 “Do not give dogs what
is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them
underfoot and turn to attack you.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
7 “Ask, and it will be
given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened
to you. 8 For everyone who asks
receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be
opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his
son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he
asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you
then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask
him!
The Golden Rule
12 “So whatever you wish
that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the
Prophets.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate.
For the gate is wide and the way is easy[q]that leads to destruction, and those
who enter by it are many. 14 For the
gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who
find it are few.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets,
who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will
recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or
figs from thistles? 17 So, every
healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy
tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you
will recognize them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says
to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one
who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that
day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your
name?’ 23 And then will I declare to
them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of
lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the
Rock
24 “Everyone then who hears
these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his
house on the rock. 25 And the
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but
it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a
foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the
rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The Authority of Jesus
28 And when Jesus finished
these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he
was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Footnotes:
a.
Matthew 5:9 Greek huioi; see
Preface
b.
Matthew 5:16 Or house. 16Let your light so
shine before others that
c.
Matthew 5:22 Some manuscripts insert without
cause
d.
Matthew 5:22 Greek says Raca to (a
term of abuse)
e.
Matthew 5:22 Greek Gehenna;
also verses 29, 30
f.
Matthew 5:26 Greek kodrantes,
Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which
was a day's wage for a laborer)
g.
Matthew 5:37 Or the evil one
h.
Matthew 5:40 Greek chiton, a
long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
i.
Matthew 5:47 Or brothers and
sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek
word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either
to brothers or to brothers and sisters
j.
Matthew 6:9 Or Let your name be
kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence
k.
Matthew 6:10 Or Let your kingdom
come, let your will be done
l.
Matthew 6:11 Or our bread for
tomorrow
m.
Matthew 6:13 Or the evil one;
some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory, forever. Amen
n.
Matthew 6:19 Or worm; also
verse 20
o.
Matthew 6:24 Greek mammon, a
Semitic word for money or possessions
p.
Matthew 6:27 Or a single cubit to
his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
q.
Matthew 7:13 Some manuscripts For
the way is wide and easy
|
The promises of Scripture do not tell of a
perfect world in our lifetime or this era of human history. That can only
happen when sin and death are utterly destroyed…at the return of Christ. But
those who follow Christ are meant, in the power of His Spirit, to spread the
goodness of the Kingdom of Heaven as far as possible in their lifetime through
the transformation of new hearts given over to Him. The teachings of the
Sermon on the Mount are beautiful and radical. They speak of the
radically different life that the disciples of Christ are called
to…transformation that goes to the deepest places of the mind and heart.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment