Lineage Manger to Messiah
The Sermon on the Mount Manger to Messiah | Episode 10
Matthew chapters five, six, and seven
record probably the best sermon ever given.
In these chapters we find the most profound and comprehensive synopsis
of the principles of the kingdom of God.
This was early on in Jesus ministry
and there was an air of expectation amongst the crowd
who were tired of their life of subjugation at the hands of the Romans.
Maybe Jesus would, as leaders of today, set out a campaign speech
and declare when and how Israel would be free from their oppressors.
Maybe this was the moment people had hoped and dreamed for.
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As they sat down on the hillside above the Lake of Galilee
and Jesus started to speak,
it soon became apparent that if they were expecting this type of speech
then they would terribly mistaken.
Jesus began with a list of people who were blessed:
The poor in spirit. Those that mourn.
The meek. The merciful.
This didn't sound like the type of person
who was going to overthrow the might of Rome.
Blessed are the peacemakers
and blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.
Jesus had a deeper message than the crowd wanted to hear,
for He wanted them to be free from the bondage of sin.
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Jesus then moved on and renounced, in an indirect way,
the exclusive mindset of his audience.
He uses the analogy of salt and light
and tells them they need to be the salt and light of the world.
They aren’t to take all the truth and keep it to themselves
but they are to share it with others.
He then moves on and talks about the law
and goes deeper than the common understanding.
Adultery is not just the physical action, but it begins in the heart.
As his audience listened, this way of living was in deep contrast
to what they normally heard the religious teachers say.
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Jesus said, You have heard it said to love your neighbors and hate your enemies,
but I say unto you to love your enemies
and pray for them that persecute you. (See Matthew 5:43-44.)
These principles of the kingdom of God that Jesus taught
still resonate and apply today.
Jesus encouraged His audience to live a Godly life,
to give to the poor, to have an active prayer life,
but most importantly, not to do either of these things for show in public.
Jesus taught that we need to put God first in everything
above our everyday matters and concerns.
‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matthew 6:33)
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In chapter 7 it speaks about the importance of asking God through prayer
for the things that we need in life, because our Heavenly Father
desperately wants to give good gifts to us, His children.
The discourse ends with Jesus noting the importance
of doing what we say we will do.
A tree is known by its fruits,
and not everyone who claims to be a follower of God is one.
At the end of time,
there will be many who thought they were on the side of Jesus
by virtue of the things that they did.
But for Jesus, it's not just about doing,
it's about doing for the right reasons and in the right spirit.
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As this discourse drew to a close
the Bible says that the multitudes were astonished
because Jesus taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes.
The principles that Jesus set forth
laid out how the followers of Jesus ought to live their lives
and they have stood the test of time and are still true today.
This sermon easily ranks as one of the best public discourses ever given,
and it would have been amazing to hear Jesus speak these words
on the hills that surround Lake Galilee today.
Today, though, the challenge is for us to demonstrate in each one of our lives
the principles of love, compassion, forgiveness, and hope as we live our lives.