Tag Archives: Sermon on the Mount

Jesus heals on request (Matthew 8: 1-4)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus comes down the hill and a man with dreaded skin disease kneels before him and asks him to heal him. Jesus touches and heals him. He tells the man not to tell anyone, but to visit the priest to prove the cure and offer the sacrifice Moses ordered.

My Thoughts:

Follow the rules: Jesus had just told the crowd during the Sermon on the Mount not to draw attention to themselves, so he repeats this to the man by asking him not to tell anyone he had healed him. Instead, he tells the man to follow the rules of Moses and visit the priest to prove he is clean so he can become a member of the community again.

Even though Jesus could do great miracles, he still followed the laws. You can make dramatic change by “showing” others instead of “telling” them what to do.

Build your life solid like rock (Matthew 7: 24-29)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus tells the crowd at the Sermon on the Mount that anyone who hears and obeys his words is like a wise man who builds his house on a rock instead of sand. The rain pours, rivers flood, and wind blows hard against the house on the rock, but it does not fall. Jesus finishes the sermon and everyone is amazed at how he taught with authority, not like the teachers of Law.

My Thoughts:

Solid Foundation: Like a house, every life needs a solid foundation. Jesus provides that foundation in the Sermon on the Mount:

  • The Beatitudes
  • Be a good role model for all to see
  • Obey the Ten Commandments
  • Anger is a bad as murder
  • Marriage is sacred and adultery starts with a look at another woman
  • Keep your promises
  • Love your enemy instead of seeking revenge
  • Do charity anonymously
  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • Do not show off
  • Focus on riches in heaven instead of on earth
  • Live for today; life is too short to worry
  • Do not judge others before yourself
  • Ask and receive, seek and find, knock and the door will open
  • Make good choices even though they are very difficult
  • Be cautious about false prophets who may swindle your money

Jesus points us towards the narrow gate (Matthew 7: 13-14)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus says the gate to hell is wide, the road is easy, and many follow it there. The gate to life is narrow, the way hard, and few find it.

My Thoughts:

Choices: Every day greets us with choices. I was going to say many are easy to make, like what to eat or what to wear, and then talk about the hard ones, but even these “easy” choices are difficult. You can choose to eat high-caloric items that will add pounds or wear that revealing outfit – or not. Every choice you make, from the mundane every-day ones made out of habit to the earth-shattering ones that can dramatically change your life, is a point where you should stop and rethink what God would want you to do if He were standing beside you. It is a narrow and hard way, but the results will amaze you.

Jesus says to judge not (Matthew 7: 1-6)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus says not to judge others or God will judge you the same way. He asks why you point out the speck in your brother’s eye and miss the log in your own. “You hypocrite!” He further says not give what is holy to dogs, they will only turn on you, and not to throw pearls to pigs, they will only trample them.

My Thoughts:

Parables: Not judging others is a pretty clear message from Jesus, but many others are less direct and in parable form, like the part about the dogs and pigs. This could mean many things, like if you try to speak the word of God to people who do not believe, they will only attack you and speak against your pearls of wisdom.

Jesus teaches not to draw attention (Matthew 6: 16-18)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus teaches the crowd during the Sermon on the Mount not to draw attention to themselves during fasting, but to wash their faces and comb their hair so people cannot tell, since fasting is a private matter with God.

My Thoughts:

Compliments: Sometimes we all want to be noticed, to be told we look nice, that we are successful, that we are doing something right. If we do not receive compliments then we will seek attention in other ways. People do not seem to give out compliments enough, so try to start a trend and maybe it will come around to greet you at a later date.

Jesus teaches about adultery and divorce (Matthew 5: 27-32)

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Bible Summary:

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that even looking at a woman and wanting to possess her is committing adultery. He then says if your right eye or hand causes you to sin, then you should throw it away. It is better to lose an eye or limb instead of having your whole body thrown into hell.  He also says a married person can only divorce if his or her spouse is unfaithful; otherwise the person is guilty of causing the spouse to commit adultery.

My Thoughts:

Marriage is Sacred: Jesus makes a very graphic point about married people not looking at (pluck your eyes out) or touching (cut off your hands) other people than their spouse. He also says divorce is only justified if the other person is unfaithful.

Obviously, marriage was very sacred back then and adultery was a crime punishable by stoning. What a dramatic difference to our day-in-age where over half the marriages end in divorce. I guess the couples are “punished” through divorce court and are a little more cautious the second time around.

Communication: Remember when you first met and just could not stand being away from each other. You asked all about your spouse-to-be: family history; likes and dislikes; favorite color, movie, flowers, sweets, etc. You asked questions, you probed to find out his or her hopes, dreams, and concerns. You listened intently – to every word.

We grow comfortable in marriage, many times too comfortable where we plop down on the couch exhausted after a long day at work and shuttling the kids to activities, too tired to even speak. We turn on the TV and “tune out” until bedtime. If this is you, make changes today.

  • Sneak a love note in her purse.
  • Schedule time alone with him. Yes – I said “schedule” and stick to the appointment like “having to” take the kids to practice.
  • Turn off the TV at least once a week.
  • I’ll have to come up with some more ideas later, but you get the point.