Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:1-2

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

Reflection: So starts Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. In chapter 4, we realized that the three main areas of Jesus' ministry were preaching, teaching and healing. This so called Sermon is the longest discourse of teaching we have from Jesus' ministry. Although he was going to be primarily teaching his disciples, due to the miracles many of the crowds came to listen as well.

Jesus' opening line, which we learned a few chapters back was "repent for the kingdom of heaven was at hand", and now he was going to teach what it would look like the live according to those kingdom values. He will start with the Beatitides, which we will start tomorrow. Each one will start with "blessed are the..." Jesus will describe that living life in the kingdom is the most blessed or joyful way to live. As Jesus said in John 10:10, I have come to bring you life and life abundantly. Life living according to kingdom principles leads to abundance.

Jesus would also have to do some correcting of how the Pharisees taught the Law. Notice Jesus taught near a mountain, and Moses received and dispensed the Law from a mountain. While this was a holy mountain, Mt. Sinai, Jesus was preaching from a common mountain so that all could hear. While the Pharisees tied the heavy burden and yoke of the Law on the Jewish people's backs, Jesus will teach us in Matthew 11 that His yoke is easy and his burden is light.

If you are feeling tremendous burden in following The Lord, I hope this Sermon on the Mount we will be studying the next several days will set you free. In preparation for that do some reflection on how you perceive following Jesus and His commands. Is it burdensome to you or freeing? This will be important for us to think about as we are taught by Jesus how to love in the kingdom in His power.

Jesus free us of the burden of law keeping to see the Spirit of the Law which is to set is free to love you and others as a reflection of your great love for us, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more