The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7) is widely recognized as emblematic of all that is extraordinary and remarkable in the teachings of Jesus. The Sermon has been received enthusiastically from not only Christian believers, but from philosophers, writers, social reformers and others outside the Christian faith. The moral vision of the Sermon rings true even to those who reject its theological underpinnings. Here we see radical compassion, universal ethical teachings, practical wisdom, and spiritual depth.
Here are several of the multitudes who have been impacted by the Sermon’s character:
- British pastor and theologian John RW Stott (1921-2011): Manifesto for Christians. “The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly the least obeyed. It is the nearest thing to a manifesto that He ever uttered, for it is His own description of what He wanted His followers to be and to do.”
- St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430): A perfect standard for human life. “If anyone will piously and soberly consider the sermon which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on the mount, as we read it in the Gospel according to Matthew, I think that he will find in it, so far as regards the highest morals, a perfect standard of the Christian life: and this we do not rashly venture to promise, but gather it from the very words of the Lord Himself.”
- French historian and philosopher Ernest Renan (1823-1892): The highest compliment. “Jesus will ever be the creator of the pure spirit of religion; the Sermon on the Mount will never be surpassed.”
- India’s leader and social reformer Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948): From outside the Christian faith. “The Sermon on the Mount went straight to my heart… gave me comfort and boundless joy… has endeared Jesus to me.”
- Jaroslav Pelikan (1923-2006), one of the most distinguished historians of Christianity. “The Sermon on the Mount remains the greatest moral document of all time.”
- Charles Andrews (1871-1940), Anglican priest, educator, and commentator. “Very early in my life, while engaged in the study of the Sermon on the Mount, the discovery came to me which every learner makes sooner or later, that Christ’s words in these chapters are not a series of beautiful proverbs, loosely strung together, but an amazingly perfect description of character at its highest point.”
- Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981): a vision to transform the world. “Here is the life to which we are called, and I maintain again that if only every Christian in the Church today were living the Sermon on the Mount, the great revival for which we are praying and longing would already have started. Amazing and astounding things would happen; the world would be shocked, and men and women would be drawn and attracted to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
This Sunday in worship we will be exploring aspects of the Sermon on the Mount. Read Matthew chapters 5-7. Focus especially on chapter 5:13-20.
- Why do you think Jesus moves from the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) directly into the images of salt and light? If the beatitudes describe the Christian character, what does salt and light signify?
- In verse 17, what does it mean to fulfill the law? Why might Jesus need to stress that He has not come to abolish the law?
- In Matthew 5:17-18 what ways does Jesus bring the deeper meaning and intention of the Old Testament commandments into focus here?
- In verse 20, what would a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees look like? How do you know if your righteousness is greater than that of the Pharisees?
- What is the difference between outward religious observance and inward righteousness?
By Henry Knapp