Matthew 7:13-14 -Enter the narrow gate (original) (raw)

Sermon On the Mount: Dictionary of Jesus

No other short section of the Bible has been more prominent in theological discussion and in the general life of the church. Even in our modern secular societies the Sermon's influence continues. Though they may have given the matter little careful thought, many men and women who have little or no contact with the church believe that the Sermon contains clear ethical teaching for all people of good will. The Sermon is well known to Christians today, but few appreciate the richness of these sayings of Jesus: their radical promises and demands have often been blunted either through familiarity or as a result of a precipitate quest for immediate relevance. Interpretation of this influential and apparently simple passage is far from easy, but the scholar, preacher or lay person who perseveres will be amply rewarded, for the Sermon sets out powerfully both the gift and demand of the Gospel. 0 0 1 E

BIBLE STUDIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

The fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew's gospel are vitally important and necessary to understand the message of Jesus because these chapters contain the basic teachings that are foundational to the Master's message. We find the following key concepts in this section of Sacred Scripture: God, the Infinite Creator Sovereign God of Heaven, gives us the right to call Him, "ABBA-Father" The TANACH (Old Testament) is the foundation and preparation for the Christian Scriptures (New Testament); the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament just as Jesus (the greater) follows John (the lesser) Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law (TORAH-God's law, mind, wisdom, life, and light-enlightenment) Jesus' message is the "gospel" (good new, SWARTA in Aramaic-a proclamation of announcement of the joyful hope of the Kingdom of Heaven Dr. Lamsa referred to this section of Scripture as, "the most precious and inspiring portion of the Scriptures" and, "the soul and the spirit of the sacred Word.

The Point of Jesus' Hyperboles in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

2023

This essay argues that the point of Jesus’ hyperboles in the Sermon on the Mount was to expose the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. That is why all the Sermon on the Mount hyperboles follow Jesus’ declaration that Pharisaic righteousness is insufficient (Matthew 5:19-20). Jewish lawyers had extended the God side of the law–Love God. They extended the first two commands such that they would not eat with Gentiles –the idol worshippers. They avoided pronouncing God’s name (YHWH) and made special Sabbath laws about what not to do that day. Therefore, Jesus retaliated by extending the people’s side of the command –Love others. As an example of deciphering the hyperboles, the author interprets Jesus’ discourse on insulting in anger as murder (5:21-26) using Schreiner’s discourse analysis. Perhaps Jesus used hyperboles to make sin look terrible. Second, people will know the seat of their sinful actions: their heart. Third, they will admit their wicked heart, repent, turn around to Jesus, and seek forgiveness. The point is that Jesus did not intend for people to obey the hyperboles literally but to seek forgiveness. Then, do mercy to others instead of judging them like the Pharisees because God will measure back to people the measure they use (7:1-5).

How to Interpret the Sermon on the Mount

Many Christians ignore the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) because they do not know how to interpret it. Some verses appear to present a pacifist Jesus. Other verses appear to present a Jesus who is nothing more than a moral or ethical teacher with no hint of his deity that we find in other portions of the New Testament (NT). In this paper, I will propose a way to interpret the Sermon on the Mount that I believe makes the most sense.

Interpretative strategies for Jesus' 'Sermon on the mount' (Matthew 5-7)

St. Mark's Review, 2014

Well-known or much-loved texts can be every bit as daunting for the preacher as the 'hard sayings of Jesus' or long and obscure genealogies. The 'Sermon on the Mount' (Matthew 5-7, 'the Sermon') - particularly the Beatitudes - is well known and much loved. Diligent preparation on Matthew 5 to 7 might induce 'analysis-paralysis' due to either the volume of commentary or the variety of conclusions drawn. Discouraged preachers might (erroneously) conclude there is nothing left to be said! Matthew's account of Jesus' teaching on the Mount, however, provides a glimpse of the earliest Christian interpretation of Jesus Christ. From the Apostle Paul to the bishop-theologian Augustine; from the reformer Luther to the pacifist John Howard Yoder; and from the German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer to the contemporary Baptist peacemaker Glenn Stassen; each generation has found Jesus' imaginative vision of God's kingdom utterly compelling. Each interpre...