What is the Sermon on the Mount?

The reading assignment for today contains a large part of the famous teaching of Jesus best known as the Sermon on the Mount. It is impossible to address all the details of the Sermon on the Mount in this Tuesday blog. My goal is to hit some good points without taking up too much of your time. It is called the Sermon on the Mount because Jesus went up on a mountainside to preach to the large crowd of people who had gathered. He began teaching with what is called the Beatitudes which means supreme blessedness. Jesus is telling us here that the truly blessed people are those who care more about the things of God rather than the things of this world. Here are the Beatitudes in my words:

We are blessed to need God to provide.
We are blessed to find comfort in the Lord after a loss.
We are blessed to learn patients, and are gentle and forgiving.
We are blessed when we long to obey our God.
We are blessed when our focus is to relieve the suffering of other people and express mercy.
We are blessed when we have our thoughts and motives pure and actions upright and sincere.
We are blessed as peacemakers providing reconciliation to family, preventing bitterness and misunderstanding.
We are blessed when we are persecuted for our righteous actions or desire to do what is right.

Salt and Light
Matthew 5:12 was one of the first verses I memorized when I was on the road to spiritual recovery and maturity.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [e]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."

This meant so much to me because at the time I felt like salt without flavor. I had been living a life blending in with the world and the Lord sent a young lady to be some salt in my life. I recently heard a sermon about being salt and light. The pastor stated that we are to be salt and light where ever we are placed.

Fulfillment of the Law
Jesus tells us in 5:17 that he has come to fulfill the law. This means he satisfied the laws requirements in our place. We do still live observing those laws but we are not condemned by them because of Christ who completed them.

Jesus then talks about issues like murder, adultery, divorce, promises, and loving your enemies. All these things he taught about were details of a lifestyle we should lead. Our goal should be to bring glory to the Father and not ourselves. Which brings us into chapter six.

Giving to the Needy
“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.

These first few verses of chapter six are talking about showing off our righteousness. Do you ever feel like you just really want a pat on the back after taking that bag of clothes and box of food to the ministry place for the needy? Or when you give up your only off day to repair an elderly woman’s roof? I have had those battles in my mind wanting to be recognized or thanked for good deeds. The problem is that we don’t understand God’s rewards. We do not look for his blessings. We are looking for the approval of man. It is a much richer blessing to learn the heart of God and feel blessed knowing you have relieved the suffering of another person. (Beatitude #5)

The Lord’s Prayer
Next we come to Jesus’ model of a perfect prayer. So many memorize this prayer and say it without stopping to think about what it means.

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
We should recognize that he is like a father who loves and protect us. We also should recognize his greatness. His very name is Holy and he is all-powerful.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
We are asking God to allow us in his eternal plan. We are asking to do God’s will so earth can be like heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
We are asking God to provide all our needs daily.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive whose who trespass against us.
We are asking God to forgive us of our sins and that we will forgive others for their wrongs against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
We are asking God to protect us from situations where we would be tempted to do evil. Also to protect us from Satan’s snare that we would be able to resist.
Did you notice something missing?
For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.
We are briefly lifting up praise to conclude the prayer but was not part of Jesus’ original prayer. It was added for public worship.

Fasting
We should fast privately, just like praying, and giving. Our goal is not to show everyone else how righteous we can be. Fasting should only be between you(me) and God. He will reward for the pure heart.

Treasures in Heaven
Our perspective needs to become eternal. A treasure on earth can burn up, rot, or be destroyed by bugs, but a treasure stored in heaven is everlasting. As we take in all these words of Jesus and apply them to our lives we will certainly store treasures in heaven. I don’t know if anyone knows what that means literally but I know it is a great thing because Jesus said it can not be destroyed or stolen.

Do Not Worry
Our last section is about not worrying. Oh to not worry. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” People who worry and are anxious a lot crave control. I like to know what is going to happen and I like to prepare for what is coming. But God says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”