Untitled Sermon (3)

The Sermon on the Mount - The Beatitudes

Jesus is teaching his followers here in "he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain and after he sat down, his disciples approached him. 2 And opening his mouth he began to teach them". Yes, there well may have been sick and demon possessed in the crowd, but that isn't mentioned here. In fact, healing isn't mentioned until after this message. And, there may well have been scribes and Pharisees or others in the crowd, but again, they aren't mentioned here.This message isn't spoken to those in opposition, it is spoken to His disciples to teach them how to handle opposition.

You Are The Salt of the Earth

Matthew 5:13–16 LEB

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, by what will it be made salty? It is good for nothing any longer except to be thrown outside and trampled under foot by people. 14 You are the light of the world. A city located on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 nor do they light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it shines on all those in the house. 16 In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus uses two very familiar analogies, things everyone is familiar with, as he describes who "you are". The "you are" refers to his disciples and followers. Jesus is not addressing the needy crowd to be healed or fed.

- He first compares them to salt. We all enjoy salt as a seasoning in our food. And if you have ever been on a salt free or salt restricted diet you will understand the point that Jesus is making in . And here is the point, a little salt seasons the whole pot, the whole dish. Who we are changes the whole environment around us, if we are the salt He intends us to be.

- Second, He compares us to light. Most of us have electricity and strong and bright light bulbs, maybe several in each room so that even at night, the whole room is illuminated. They didn't have electricity. They had oil lamps, and candles, but you understand that in a dark room, that small light source makes all the difference between seeing and being in the dark. Jesus says, in "let your light shine", "on top of a hill", "on a lampstand", not so they see you, but "so they can see your good works and glorify your Father". When we are living the Christian life, there is something different in us. It may not be blinding light, but it is bright enough for people to notice.

Great in the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 5:17–20 LEB

17 “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one tiny letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all takes place. 19 Therefore whoever abolishes one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps them and teaches them, this person will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you that unless your righteousness greatly surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus teaches them about the importance of the Law and the Prophets. He had turned over the tables of the money changers, He had healed on the Sabbath, His disciples took grain from the field to eat on the Sabbath, and there were those challenging his authority and methods accusing Him of breaking the Law of Moses. Jesus sets the record straight in

(LEB) “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them".

It is by this law that He can be the sacrifice for sin. Righteousness must be fulfilled and it is fulfilled through Him. This doctrine, this fulfillment of the word of the prophets, is one of the most misunderstood concepts. It is not by our keeping the law that we are saved. It was by his keeping the law that He was able to be the sacrifice for us. And by that sacrifice, He opened the way for God's grace by faith.

(LEB) For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

(LEB) Therefore, because we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Read , the fulfillment of what Jesus did through His life on the earth.

First Go Be Reconciled to Your Brother

Matthew 5:21–26 LEB

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people of old, ‘Do not commit murder,’ and ‘whoever commits murder will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry at his brother will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Stupid fool!’ will be subject to the council, and whoever says, ‘Obstinate fool!’ will be subject to fiery hell. 23 Therefore if you present your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and first go be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your gift. 25 Settle the case quickly with your accuser while you are with him on the way, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, you will never come out of there until you have paid back the last penny!

Many people recite commandments, as Jesus says in and He begins here to push back from the act and addresses the thoughts that have led to the act. There are things we do as reflexive action, pulling our hand away from a fire for example, but here, Jesus is talking about our thought life. He is exposing the thoughts that build in our minds and lead to an action. We say and do things that we shouldn't. We say and do things that hurt other people. Jesus is saying, in that we, as His followers, should take the initiative when we remember, when we realize, that someone has something against us. He says, "be reconciled". We can't control other peoples reactions or their feelings, but we can offer an apology, we can ask them to forgive us if we have hurt them. How can we have a clear conscience before God if we have a bad relationship nagging us?

In His Heart

Matthew 5:27–32 LEB

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your limbs be destroyed than your whole body go into hell. 31 “And it was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Here, Jesus teaches about another "Do Not", saying and again is trying to go beyond the external behavior to address the thoughts that result in that behavior. Divorce is the end behavior that begins with, well, in

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery'"

Then He says in

(LEB) But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This is another are where many struggle so please read this carefully. Jesus doesn't say a man should not look at a woman (or that a woman should not look at a man for that matter). What He says is, not to look with lust for her. There are many right relationships between a man and a woman, father to daughter, mother to son, brother to sister, friend to friend. But there is only one relationship that is appropriate as a sexual one and that is husband and wife.

Fulfill Your Oaths to the Lord

Matthew 5:33–37 LEB

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the people of old, ‘Do not swear falsely, but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, because it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king. 36 And do not swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be ‘Yes, yes; no, no,’ and anything beyond these is from the evil one.

Go With Him Two

Matthew 5:38–42 LEB

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 evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, let him have your outer garment also. 41 And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Pray for Those Who Persecute You

Matthew 5:43–48 LEB

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? 48 Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Again in Jesus uses the phrase, "you have heard that it was said". Here, the saying was "Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’" But that isn't the nature of God. Jesus shows us who God is in "he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust". Anyone can like those that like you and as Jesus says in "Do not the gentiles also?". But He tells us in to "be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect". In this we should follow our heavenly father, love even those that are our enemies. Love even those that persecute us.

Your Father Who Sees in Secret Will Reward You

Matthew 6:1–4 LEB

1 “And take care not to practice your righteousness before people to be seen by them; otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! 3 But you, when you practice charitable giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 in order that your charitable giving may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.