The Bible Book

208 SERMON ON THE MOUNT

God. They must be confident

that God’s goodwill is all they

need for their lives to flourish.

Instead of being anxious about

finding food and clothing, they

should focus on the life of God’s

kingdom. In much the same way,

His disciples should not spend

their lives looking for faults in

other people, but rather leave all

judgment to God. At its heart,

this part of Jesus’s teaching is

emphasizing that God is good

and is to be trusted.

At the end of His sermon, Jesus

reminds His listeners to practice

what He preaches: “Everyone

who hears these words of mine

and puts them into practice is

like a wise man who built his

house on the rock ... and not the

foolish man who built his house

on sand” (7:24–26).

Revolutionary message

Jesus’s listeners are amazed

by His teaching, because they

recognize that He teaches with

God’s supreme authority, and not

simply with human skill. When

Jesus finishes teaching and comes

down the mountainside, He is

followed by large crowds (8:1).

The Sermon on the Mount

describes a world that has been

turned upside down by God’s

of God, since they would be

imitating Jesus’s love for His

enemies, as He would demonstrate

on the cross.

Having asked His disciples to

“exceed” the righteousness of the

Pharisees, Jesus then warns them

not to become “self-righteous,” or

smug: “Be careful not to practice

your acts of righteousness in front

of others to be seen by them”

(Matthew 6:1). They should not

“trumpet” their good works to

the world, but rather be discreet,

confident that God sees what they

do. The same humility should be

evident, He says, when people pray.

If your right eye

causes you to stumble,

gouge it out and

throw it away (5:29).

Teachings from Jesus’s sermon

Believers must

give up things that

stand in the way

of their faith.

Watch out for false

prophets. They come

to you in sheep’s

clothing (7:15).

The enemies of

God often disguise

themselves

as friends.

When you give to the

needy, do not let your left

hand know what your

right hand is doing (6:3).

Do not practice

good deeds in order

to receive praise

or recognition.

Enter through the

narrow gate. For wide

is the gate ... that leads

to destruction (7:13).

It is easy to stray

from Christ’s

instructions if you

don’t live well.

Jesus teaches that God does not

listen to prayers because they are

loud and long, but because they are

offered in humble dependence on

God. “Go into your room, close the

door, and pray to your Father ...

who sees what is done in secret”

(6:6). In short, Jesus encourages

His followers to look for God’s favor

more than the applause of the

people around them. “Do not store

up for yourselves treasures on Earth

... but store up for yourselves

treasures in heaven” (6:19–20).

One of the key themes in Jesus’s

Sermon on the Mount is the faith

that His disciples should have in

Can any one of you

by worrying add a single

hour to your life?

Matthew 6:27

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THE GOSPELS 209

Jesus warns against judging others

in The Parable of the Mote and the

Beam (c.1619) by Domenico Fetti.

The painting was one in a series of

13 works illustrating the parables.

The sermon as a far-

reaching influence

From the earliest days of

Christianity, Jesus’s Sermon

on the Mount has been

considered central to His

teaching, giving His followers

a clear pattern for their lives.

Church leaders and prominent

thinkers point to the sermon

when giving ethical guidance

to Christians in such diverse

areas as conflict resolution,

personal relationships, wealth,

and justice. Some groups, such

as the Amish, are renowned

for seeking to live simply in

accordance with the Sermon

on the Mount.

The influence of the sermon

reaches beyond the Christian

Church. Some phrases have

become idioms in wider usage,

not least owing to influential

literary figures such as Dante,

Chaucer, and Shakespeare.

“Don’t hide your light under

a bushel,” “salt of the earth,”

and “don’t throw your pearls

before pigs” all come from

Jesus’s teaching.

presenting a picture of an ideal

life; He was saying that they could

be part of this kingdom, if only

they would build their lives on

the “rock” that He was.

Jesus knew that not everyone

would accept this way of life.

It was a “narrow gate” for people

to enter, compared to the broad

road of living as you please, but

the narrow path would lead to

God’s blessing (7:13–14).

Jesus’s story continued to

unfold. His death and resurrection

became powerful reminders to

Jesus’s disciples and followers

to teach and live by the lessons

of the Sermon on the Mount. ■

kingdom. It is a world in which the

weak and powerless are considered

to be God’s treasured children,

a place where generosity and

forgiveness are valued more highly

than strength. Here, trust in God

matters more than any other virtue.

The idea of such a world must have

seemed an impossible utopia for

those listening to Jesus, yet they

recognized God’s authority in

Jesus’s words. He was not simply

Ask and it will be

given to you; seek and

you will find; knock

and the door will be

opened to you ...

For everyone who

asks receives.

Matthew 7:7–8

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