The Sermon on the Mount

The Gospel of Matthew shows Jesus as the Messiah, the great King. It begins with John the Baptist preparing the way for him, his baptism with holy spirit, his temptation in the wilderness, and then shows him declaring his kingdom in 4:12—7:29. Much of this declaration is in what is called the “Sermon on the Mount.”

The Foundation of the Kingdom

Matthew 5:1:
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him.

When Jesus was “set.” This refers to more than physical set-up for a meeting. Jesus had obeyed his parents, learned from teachers at Jerusalem, and grown in wisdom and understanding. He had received holy spirit and defeated the Devil’s temptations. He was set and ready to declare the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the Kingdom of God. First, he laid the foundation.

Matthew 5:2-12:
And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit [humble in pride]: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

These nine “blessings” refer to walking with God as a Father, being a citizen of the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ. They are similar to nine “fruit” that we see when we walk by the spirit of God within us.

Galatians 5:22,23,25:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Let’s compare them:

Look at the progression of these blessings that we can live as citizens of the Kingdom, and the rewards that follow.

1. Lowliness to God allows us to know Him. The “fear of the Lord” brings heavenly rewards. We trust in Him and not our own understanding.
2. Even though we endure loss and hardship in this life, we have God’s comfort of eternal life with Him through what Christ has done for us.
3. Once we are lowly, we can meekly obey God’s direction. We will inherit all the good things of life on this earth as we do so.
4. In the same way that people need food and water for physical survival, we can desire to live spiritually and accept God’s righteousness in Christ.
5. Once we are lowly, meek, and know our righteousness in Christ, we can accept God’s mercy to us, and extend His mercy to others. We forgive as we have been forgiven.
6. This is the way to see God’s love and power in your life. We are merciful and meek, with a pure heart to only do the Father’s will. Then we will truly “see” Him and walk by His spirit within.
7. Seeing what God would have us do each day, we bring his peace in a world filled with hate and violence. Those people who receive that peace will recognize that we are God’s children, who imitate our heavenly Father.
8. As we bring God’s peace to a troubled world, we will be persecuted by the Devil and his forces. We carry out God’s righteousness in this life, with a lowly attitude of service, and (as in the first on the list) we are true citizens of the Kingdom.
9. Finally, those who are evil spoken of, lied about, and oppressed for bringing the good news of Jesus Christ should rejoice. We will receive great eternal rewards. After all, this is nothing new. The Devil has been persecuting God’s spokesmen since his fall.

Bringing New Understanding

Jesus had read the Old Testament since his youth and knew the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (other writings) included therein (Luke 24:44). Jesus was an apostle (Hebrews 3:1). He took the truths from the Scriptures and presented them as his Father enlightened his understanding.

Look at the many subjects covered in this teaching: Being honest as salt and bright as a lamp (5:13-16); The Messiah fulfilling all the Law (5:17-20); seeking peace and overcoming anger (5:21-26); sexual purity and self-control (5:27-30); faithfulness in marriage (5:31,32); trust God and do not make commitments based on your own understanding (5:33-37); forgiveness and compassion (5:38-42); God’s unconditional love—even to those who wish to harm us (5:43-48); giving and serving without thought of reward (6:1-4); how to pray to the Father (6:5-15); fasting from worldly things and eternal rewards (6:16-21); walking in God’s light (6:22,23); serving God (not earthly riches) and trusting Him to meet our needs (6:24-34); being honest with our own shortcomings and not judging others by our own understanding (7:1-5); cherishing and seeking God’s good things (7:6-11); a summary of the Old Testament: do unto others as you would have them do to you (7:12); entering the straight gate of God’s way (7:13,14); false prophets and their evil fruit (7:15-20); serving God and His Son from the heart, not just in actions (7:15-23).

Doing My Sayings

Jesus didn’t want people to simply know the truth, he wanted them to live it. He showed them how to build their lives on truth. But they had to put in the work.

Matthew 7:24-27:
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

This may seem like a simple choice to us: build on solid rock or on shifting sand. But in Jesus’ time some opted for the sand. Torrential rains would cause rushing rivers to flow through the desert sand. After the water abated, a flat and smooth sandy foundation would be left. This would require no work on the part of the builder to have such a foundation. But when the rains returned, the house would wash away.

Building a rocky foundation took much more work, but the rewards were so much greater. That is what Jesus was talking about.

After giving all of this truth in Matthew 5:1—7:23, Jesus told them the choice was theirs. Put in the effort to love God and live His way, or follow the world’s sandy and hopeless way of destruction and death. Such a teaching amazed those who heard it.

Matthew 7:28,29:
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Let’s take heed to the great truths that our lord and savior taught, so that we can have a solid and lasting foundation. As we live this way, we will be blessed beyond measure in this life and have abundant rewards throughout eternity!