Sermon On The Mount

Lets talk about the Sermon on the Mount, more specifically I'm going to be focusing on Matthew 5:1-11, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 5:33-37, Matthew 6:1-18, and Matthew 6:25. Now while all of these passages of scripture are part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, they all speak of some very different and important things.

To begin, Matthew 5:1-11 starts the Sermon on the Mount; these verses act as the introduction to Jesus' speech. Jesus begins each verse by stating "blessed are..." For example, Verse 4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." And, verse 9: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called Children of God." Now, while each verse from Matthew 5:1-11 is a different and wonderful statement, I chose to use these two as examples because they are my favorites from these verses of scripture. That being said, these statements pose two questions. One, Which of these verses to do you most relate with? Two, Which of these verses do you least relate with? From the two verses that I used as examples, I can definitely say that I relate mostly to verse 9: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called Children of God." I relate the most to this verse because I see myself not as a peacemaker in the current moment but as a peacemaker in the future. A good mediator, a good balance between people, and ultimately a peacemaker is something I strive for and work towards everyday. For the question of which verse I relate with least, I can say that would be verse 3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." I say that I relate least to this verse simply because while I used to be extremely poor in spirit in the past, I do not see myself as poor in spirit today. When it comes to asking yourself these questions, I greatly recommend reading Matthew 5:1-11, and having a moment with yourself to truly feel and understand what it is you can relate to and what it is you cannot.

Next, we move onto Matthew 5:13-16, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." which discusses the salt and light of the world. As Christians, or followers of Christ, Jesus states that we are meant to have a good balance of both, and while this is possible, it is easy to see that most will relate more to one over the other. With that in mind, Which do you believe you relate to more? And, What can you do to have a good balance of both? I admit having a good balance of both is definitely something I need to work on, as I see myself having more salt. Relationships and Ethics in Ministry, Second Edition by Berean School of the Bible, gives us questions to ask ourselves when deciphering whether or not we have more light or more salt. Do I make people thirsty enough to seek God for the answers to life's questions? Am I light in my relationships? Does my presence bring clarity to difficult situations? Are people safer because they are on the same path as me? When reviewing these questions what are your thoughts? How do these questions make you feel about your balance of salt and light? I personally can say that while I strive to make people thirsty enough to seek God, I am ultimately unsure of whether or not I am that light in all of my relationships with others, and therefore know that I need to work on being that light for others.

Thirdly we are going to discuss Matthew 5:33-37, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5:33-37 discusses oaths, and not making promises you cant keep. It also discusses not swearing by anything, and simply answering with a yes or no. How do these verses make you feel? Is keeping your oaths and not swearing by anything something you need to work on? I know it is something I need to work on. I need to work on being more honest with myself about what I can and cannot do, and thus in that recognize the oaths I am making to myself and whether or not I can actually keep them.

Fourth we discuss Matthew 6:1-18. These verses speak of giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting. Each section discusses the dos and don'ts, with a similar theme of doing these things in private and without boasting. Ultimately, if you really think about it these are things we do to be more like, speak with and honor God, not to earn praise, or any other worldly reward from those around us. Therefore, when you fast, and when you pray, and when you give to the needy, do it with God in mind. Remember, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God." This does not always mean that you will see God physically, but that you will see God in things you do throughout your life, and you will see God in the blessings he gives you for being obedient and righteous of his word.

Last but certainly not least we discuss Matthew 6:25. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" God is constantly in control, so why do we spend so much time worrying about trivial and worldly things? The answer is actually quite simple, because we are human. Our flesh is weak, and our mind cannot always comprehend that God is in control of all that we do. However, what we can do is remember that God is in control and do our best to put our worries and strifes in his hand and know that he will take care of us. I have recently been struggling with a lack of patience and remembering that God is in control has helped me gain patience. God does not make all of our problems go away with a snap of his fingers, nor does he always answer our prayers in the way that we think he will. Having patience and knowing God is in control helps us recognize that when things aren't going exactly our way we can put or faith in him. How do you feel knowing God is in control? What do you need to work on to help yourself have more patience when it comes to listening and waiting to for Gods answers?

I love the Sermon on the Mount for many reasons, but mainly I enjoy these sections because they have helped me grow in my walk with God. Not just by showing me right vs. wrong, but by showing me that God has my back and that he is always there for me regardless of what life throws my way.