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Showing posts with the label Sermon-Mount

Wise or Foolish?

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The ‘ Sermon on the Mount ’ is not a program for reforming civil society or implementing economic justice. Instead, it provides instructions for how the disciples of Jesus must live in the present age as faithful citizens and envoys of his Kingdom. His teachings are not optional, and to stress the point, he concluded his discourse with a stern warning. Disobeying or ignoring his words will result in everlasting catastrophe for the would-be disciple.

The Greater Lawgiver

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In the  Gospel of Matthew , the life, words, and deeds of Jesus echo key events in the history of Israel; not that he reenacts them, but rather he brings the things that God began in the past to their intended fulfillments. He is the Greater Lawgiver foreshadowed in the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. By presenting parallels between Moses and Jesus, Matthew sets the stage for the teachings of the “ Coming One ,” especially as represented by his ‘ Sermon on the Mount ’.

"Leap for Joy!"

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In the experience of many disciples of Jesus, the outbreak of persecution is always a possibility. Moreover, they often face hostility from employers, neighbors, and even family members. So, how should they react when the possibility becomes a sudden and brutal reality? Fortunately, both Jesus and his Apostles left us with clear instructions and examples of how we ought to react when facing persecution.

Suffering and Discipleship

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For followers of Jesus, retaliation and violence are not appropriate reactions to persecution. Rather than respond in kind, they must meet threats and assaults with humility, mercy, and forgiveness. That is what it means to “ deny yourself ,” “ take up his cross ,” and follow him wherever he leads. Doing good to one’s “ enemy ” is contrary to the “ wisdom of this age ,” yet doing so is how the disciple emulates his Lord and becomes “ perfect as the Heavenly Father .”

Mercy and Enemies

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The reality of persecution raises important questions. How should disciples of Jesus react, especially when persecuted by the State? Is resorting to anger or acts of civil disobedience appropriate, or should they instead emulate examples from the life of Christ? In his teachings, he warned that all men who decide to follow him would experience “ tribulation ,” and he summoned them to follow his path (“ If they persecuted me, so they will persecute you ”).

Law and Prophets

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Fulfillment is a prominent theme in the  Gospel of Matthew . With the arrival of Israel’s Messiah, the time of fulfillment commenced. But with his advent, what were the implications for the Law? In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provided clear answers. He did not come to adjudicate the interpretive disputes between competing Jewish sects over the details of the Law, or to validate which oral traditions were correct, but instead, to fulfill the “ Law and the Prophets .”

Fulfilling the Law

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Jesus exhorted his disciples to become “ perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect ,” yet how can anyone emulate the perfect righteousness of God? His explanation was clear - By performing acts of mercy,  ESPECIALLY  to one’s enemies. Self-sacrificial love goes to the heart of his message and reflects the true nature of the merciful God he obeyed and served. Was he not the Messiah who submitted to an undeserved death for others even when they were the “ enemies of God ”?