2010 Mar 14 - Intro to the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5 - 7)

We began by reviewing our class purpose: We are citizens of two kingdoms, this earthly world and the kingdom of heaven. Schools, parents, the media, and various cultural traditions all help us to live productive lives in this earthly world. The purpose of our class is to help us become better citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Essentially, being Kingdom Citizens means to imitate Jesus Christ and adhere to His teachings.

This past week, we were encouraged to read the gospel of Matthew and find the passages where Jesus’ teachings are concentrated.

Chapters 5-7 describe the lifestyle of Christ followers.
Chapter 10 commissioned the disciples of Jesus.
Chapter 13 contains parables, stories that illustrate Jesus’ kingdom.
Chapter 18 contains more parables, focusing on the character and values of Christ followers.
Chapters 23-25 describe the seriousness of God’s judgment.

Chapters 5-7 are known as the Sermon on the Mount. This sermon is not a new system of rules. Instead, they add an ethical dimension to the Old Testament law that the Jews of that time followed. The mistake the Jews of that time made, and the mistake too many people today make, is thinking that God cares about the laws themselves. God is interested in the heart. If we learned to love properly, the rules would be fulfilled. Not necessarily every interpretation of the law, but the intent of the laws.

Jesus described the proper mindset for His followers. With that new mindset, new actions will follow.

In class, we were warned that following the new mindset will be costly. The world around us won’t understand why we adopt such a radical lifestyle. This sermon gives us a model to follow. Jesus does not tell us to set up rules to be sure we adhere to everything in this sermon. Instead, he mentions some rules and then illustrates how to let love interpret them.

This new mindset, new attitude, new interpretation cannot be adopted on our own. God’s Spirit in our lives helps us. We must learn to listen to Him. We looked at the work of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit brings order.
The Holy Spirit teaches us, reminding us of what Jesus said.
The Holy Spirit comforts us.
The Holy Spirit empowers us, enabling us in some things we can’t do on our own.

With the Holy Spirit guiding us, we go beyond following rules. Following rules is often called “living by the letter of the law.” Jesus began many teachings with “You have heard that it was said,” and then gave a rule. Immediately afterwards, He showed how people might obey the rule, but miss the point of why the rule existed. Living a life where we remember why the rules are in place is called “living by the spirit of the law.”

We should remember that the law was given by the Spirit of God. If we understand why the law was given, we’ll understand how to live lives fit for the kingdom.

For instance, Jesus mentioned adultery. He reminded His listeners that it is wrong to violate the marriage vows. But He pointed out that the law has become “I didn’t actually sleep with the other person” instead of “I have made a commitment to my marriage that includes my imagination as well as my body.” In just about every law, it is possible to live according to the letter of the law and yet violate the spirit of the law.

Kingdom Citizens are called to live their lives in harmony with God’s Spirit. This Sermon on the Mount will help to open our eyes to God’s principles. But if we stop with just what’s written here, we’ll miss the greater truth. God’s Spirit is ready to transform us completely. We are not left on our own to stumble through this life. God gives us everything we need to live this life more fully, and to be prepared for the life to come.