Jesus concludes His sermon with a final application comparing those who look saved with those who truly are. He already discussed people who go through the wide gate and travel the wide way versus those who go through the narrow gate and travel the narrow way. He explained that there are false teachers who bear […]
In this text Jesus takes a break from outlining the precepts of the Kingdom and encourages us to get help from the King to obey the King’s commands. He’s at a point in the sermon where He essentially says to His listeners, “If you’ve been paying attention you should realize by now that you stand […]
When a man is speaking to God he is at his very acme. It is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man’s true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about us a Christian people so much as our […]
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God This Beatitude may perhaps seem less weighty than the others. It doesn’t seem to compare to being poor in spirit, or being meek and merciful. But peace between men in this world isn’t common or easy, and the believer who’s characterized by peace […]
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy Mercy is showing love to the helpless and hopeless (as opposed to grace which is showing love to the undeserving). The best definition of the two that I have ever encountered is this: ‘Grace is especially associated with men in their sins; mercy is especially associated […]
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth To be meek is to truly understand what I am and how that affects my interactions with others. I see others through the lens of my own sin. If I am poor in spirit to the extent that it causes me to mourn over sin, […]
The Beatitudes The word ‘beatitude’ roughly means ‘blessing.’ Jesus starts His sermon with a list of attributes that characterize those who are blessed – who receive God’s approval. Said another way, He lists the attributes of those for whom this sermon is intended. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ manifesto explaining how to live […]
