Word Online: Series 4 - The Sermon on the Mount: Recent Episodes
Word Online
Having chosen twelve of his many disciples to become his ‘apostles’, Jesus gathers them together to teach them intensively about the attitudes, lifestyle, ethics and principles of his new discipleship community – which would later become the church. This vital teaching is recorded primarily in Matthew and Luke and is the focus of this series. The apostles will be the first leaders and founders of the church in the future. Jesus is shaping their understanding of the characteristics of the nature of discipleship.
To end the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents one choice for everyone to make and two destinations for our lives. He warns about false prophets and false disciples.
Jesus returns to the importance of prayer and adds persistence to the foundation pattern, and forgiveness that have already been addressed.
Using different examples, Jesus exhorts his disciples not to set themselves up as judge of others but rather to forgive them. This is not teaching for everyone - only for disciples. Let God be the judge.
To plan wisely for the future is good, but worry - especially about money - can be detrimental in many ways. Jesus encourages us to get the right perspective and trust God who provides for all creation.
Materialism affects all of society and was found in the Jewish religion of Jesus' day. We should trust God to provide, think about heavenly rewards rather than earthly, and be generous in our giving to combat materialism.
Fasting is the third part of Jewish religious activity that Jesus presents in a different way for Christians. It is private, mostly personal and for heightened spiritual awareness.
Prayer is a private communication with God as Father. Jesus gives the Lord's Prayer as a template - not a formula. God will reward these prayers.
Jesus challenges the motivation for giving. Is it for others to see, or for God? This is the first of three connected spiritual disciplines for Christians.
Again Jesus challenges the Jewish teaching about enemies. The Old Testament phrase has been corrupted. Jesus' disciples are to love and pray for their enemies.
Jesus teaches against using force to defend oneself as an individual. The Christian is to trust God and show grace just as Jesus did.
Jesus speaks into the Jewish culture of swearing oaths and opposes it. Christians should not need to add to their words. A yes is yes and a no is no.
Jesus endorses marriage and challenges, not only the Jewish society of his day, but modern society, too. Divorce is permitted for the disciple for two reasons only.
Jesus endorses adultery as a sin but goes further to consider the underlying attitude, which is lust. Lust is selfish and can cause great difficulty and needs to be dealt with radically.
Jesus takes a commandment from the Law of Moses and transforms it by looking at the attitude beneath. Anger needs to be dealt with quickly for the Christian.
Jesus fulfils the God-given Law of the Old Testament but not the man-made laws added. He fulfils the Law by being obedient to it, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and by bringing in the New Covenant.
Jesus' disciples will be like salt - fertilising the good and disinfecting the bad in society. Christians offer the light of Jesus by their lives.
The start of Jesus' teaching opens with a series of statements about attitudes which are explained. These are attitudes Jesus' disciples should have.
The beginning of Jesus' teaching mainly given in Matthew. Luke warns that Jesus' disciples would experience opposition and hardship but their reward is in heaven.