I say a lot about the Sermon on the Mount on this channel
and we have a video that is just the words of Jesus from that great sermon.
It's only about 13 minutes long.
But what I say usually only focuses on a few verses at a time, sometimes even less.
So I thought I would give an overview of the whole sermon
to whet the appetite of those who are afraid to read it or listen to it
because they think it will be boring.
So here goes...
It starts off with something called "The Beatitudes", or the "blessed attitudes".
Basically, Jesus is saying that he is going to turn the whole world upside down
by challenging all of our false values.
All of the things we spend our lives running away from
can actually be turned into something beautiful for God
if we will just let go and let God take control of our lives.
The very first attitude that Jesus mentions is being "poor in spirit".
He says that the kingdom of heaven...
the one over-riding message that he came to preach...
is for people who have learned to be poor in spirit, or to live like poor people.
Rather than spend our lives trying to get more, we should spend our lives trying to live on less.
That is the key to the true riches of the kingdom of heaven.
Then Jesus goes through a list of similar paradoxes
such as discovering true happiness by not running away from suffering and grief.
He finishes up that section with talk about us being persecuted for believing
and living by the truths that he has taught.
This message is guaranteed to upset others
and we may as well get it clear from the start that the false prophets...
the ones whom the world recognises as being "safe" because of their lukewarmness...
are the opposite of true prophets.
True prophets are going to be rejected, just like Jesus, by this present evil world.
Next, Jesus moves on to talk about the laws of the Old Testament
and, in effect, about the laws of every religion.
He knew that there would be people still trying to preach the old message
in an effort to escape the overpowering truths of his new message.
So, at the same time that he contrasts his message with the old one
he explains that what he is teaching is actually a fulfillment
of what God was trying to get through to people in the laws that Moses gave them.
You see, no matter what rules religions everywhere come up with
none of the people preaching them are living up to what they preach.
All those people who want to teach you the Torah are not living it themselves.
Ask them when was the last time that they sacrificed an animal for their sins!
God is finished with the old way.
He has a new way now, and a new kingdom.
Jesus says that greatness in his kingdom
is measured by how much we teach the new principles of the kingdom of heaven.
An illustration of that is how the Old Testament says not to kill
but Jesus says not to even hate anyone.
Has Jesus contradicted the old law?
No, of course not!
But he has, as he put it, FULFILLED the old law.
He has replaced it with a better law
and whoever teaches this new law, according to Jesus
will be called great in this new kingdom, called the kingdom of heaven.
This message of love is so important in comprehending what the kingdom of heaven is all about!
It's not a religion, and it's not a political empire.
It's an invisible dimension that exists in the hearts of sincere individuals all over the world.
So Jesus goes through various religious acts of piety: praying, fasting, giving to the poor.
And he tells us to do all of these things secretly now.
In doing so, he pulls the rug out from under religious empire-building
which is based on making a business out of all those disciplines.
By teaching us that hypocrites make a show of all those things
Jesus has exposed all those churches who DO continue to flaunt their piety
as being counterfeits of the kingdom of heaven.
Then Jesus gets into what I think is the most astounding part of the whole sermon.
He talks about how the citizens of this new kingdom are not just talking theory.
They are actually going to demonstrate God's presence through working for him instead of working for money.
They are going to be like the birds and like the flowers...
without jobs, without farms, without bank accounts.
They will build this invisible kingdom of love all over the world.
And their heavenly Father will provide for their basic material needs along the way.
Amazing, isn't it?
But Jesus cautions us not to get self-righteous about this.
And he tells us not to get sidelined into arguing with people about it either.
"Casting pearls before swine" he calls it.
We should pray and ask God for his help in living such a life of faith and love
and if we keep on praying for his help, he will do just that.
It won't be easy, but with God's help we can do it.
Then Jesus cautions us about false leaders who will try to corrupt what he has taught.
He warns us to observe their "fruit".
That means we need to compare what they are doing to what Jesus has taught us to do
and we should reject anyone who is not teaching it
and not doing it the way that Jesus taught it and the way that he did it.
The sermon concludes with the famous story of the wise man and the foolish man.
The wise man is the one who hears what Jesus says and DOES it.
The foolish man is the one who hears what Jesus says and does NOT do it.
Nothing but trouble awaits the ones who refuse to walk in accordance with the teachings in that great sermon.
Well, that's it.
Don't you think it's time you listened to the whole thing for yourself?
There is a link on the screen right now, that you can click
and it will take you to a recording of the famous sermon in all history.
The Sermon which changed the world.
And here endeth my sermon on his sermon.
Amen.