The Sermon on the Mount can be divided into three main sections: 1) the identity of those who are citizens of the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:1–16); 2) a description of the righteousness of the citizens of the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:17–7:12); and 3) Christ urging his hearers to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven […]
In the previous verses Jesus has pictured the way of the believer and that of the unbeliever. The believer’s road of life is pictured as narrow and straitened. Our Lord now warns the believer against false prophets as he proceeds upon his way of life. The Bible gives warning against false prophets from beginning to […]
What a blessing it must have been for the people of Jesus’ day to be able to listen to such a sermon as the Sermon on the Mount! Yet, the hearing of his words is not enough. Many may enjoy listening to such a message, but more is required. The people of Ezekiel’s day also […]
After Jesus has warned his people concerning covetousness and anxiety, he now caBs their attention to a sin all too common in their relation to one another. Here again we are faced with a passage which is very familiar and has been misapplied again and again. So often the first words of Matthew 7 are […]
The third commandment forbids the misuse of the name of God. “Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain.” The teachers of Jesus’ day taught the people that it was a grievous sin to use the name of God in an unworthy manner. They had a deep respect for the names […]
Tho Scribes and Pharisees knew the Old Testament and were able to quote it freely. The words quoted by our Lord at the beginning of this section are not found in the Ten Commandments, but belong in the other laws which God had given Israel. God told them that if one had hurt his neighbor […]
According to Jesus, the Scribes taught the people to love their neighbor but to hate their enemy. In this instance they were not quoting Scripture but added their own views to a Scriptural teaching. The Old Testament had indeed instructed the people to love their neighbor but it did not teach them to hate their […]
In the beatitudes Jesus has listed the qualifications of those who are citizens of the Kingdom of heaven. Although he commonly calls it the Kingdom of heaven, it does not have only a future reference in which they will enjoy the bliss of his unbroken fellowship and be free from all sin. This Kingdom is a […]
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled”. Although the unbelieving world believes that the people of God are quite colorless, Jesus reveals that they are capable of strong feelings. Hunger and thirst are strong sensations. Contrary to common belief, Christians do not hunger and thirst after the love […]
How beautifully Jesus introduces the Sermon on the Mount! The words used are as well-known as any other part of Scripture. Don’t let your familiarity with these words close your eyes to their simple beauty. Jesus grips his audience immediately. What a Preacher! In the beatitudes our Lord is not merely using catchy phrases to gain […]