Sermon on the Mount

Jesus was a wise teacher. Crowds of all sizes would come to learn from one of His lessons. After doing miracles and revealing Himself as the Messiah, Jesus went to a mountainside and sat down. With His disciples in the audience, Jesus began to talk for a long time about different topics. He set the guidelines for law that He fulfilled through the prophecy. In this post, we will be covering some of the concepts Jesus shed light on.

1. Be Kind To Your Neighbors

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Matthew 5:21 NIV

Here, Jesus is telling us that we must be slow to anger and quick to love. If you are placed in a situtation in which you  feel anger washing over you, leave. Remember, don’t battle with temptation, flee! Ask the Lord to fill you with His love, as emotions can be extremely hard to control. It is normal and human to feel all types of emotions, but what you do with them is what may doom you.

2. Stray Away From Adultery

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28 NIV

Jesus warns us against having a lustful eye, and more speicifcally in this verse, against someone who isn’t ours. Cheating has become extremely common today, and many often find it difficult to find someone who has the simple morals of staying far away from this sin. Our Father wants us to be in a marriage in which it is soley a husband and a wife, and this goes far away from that.

3.  Revenge Is Not The Answer

If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. Matthew 5:39 NIV

We often times here the phrase “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” But here, Jesus is actually telling us that this is the complete opposite of what we should do. If the world was based around that principle, everyone would be left eyeless. Instead, we should continue to show kindness and respect even to those who take advantage of us. We are not God, and therefore are not in charge of their punishment. Do what the Lord commands of you, and let Him handle the rest.

4.  Practice Kindness When Nobody Is Watching

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4 NIV

Many people do acts of kindness just so other people will acknowledge it and praise them. We see lots of people on social media giving back to the community, yet they record it and post it for everyone to see and hit like. What are they doing when the cameras are off? When we do things for others, we must do it out of the kindness of our heart and not in search of a reward. Even when you think nobody is watching, perform good, because He is watching.

5. Do Not Create Oaths

All you need to say is simply “Yes” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37 NIV

We often here the phrase, “Don’t make broken promises”. Jesus says that we shouldn’t make promises at all! We never really know if we are able to come through on what we say, so it’s better to speak through actions then put our words on a pedestal. Tomorrow isn’t promised, so we should just speak truthfully without exaggerations or dramatics.

6. Treasures In Heaven

For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also Matthew 6:21 NIV

Jesus is telling us to not to put our focus on the wrong thing. We should have Jesus flowing through our hearts, but through sinful actions such as idolization, we tend to chase the world instead of the Word.

7. Do Not Worry

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself Matthew 6:34 NIV

There’s a lot of What Ifs in life. What if this happens? What if this doesn’t happen? It’s easy to slip into a spiral of how our future may turn out. We end up letting our anxieties get the best of us. Jesus’ quote is a beautiful reminder that He has our back and to keep faith in the process. Things will work out.

8. The Importance Of Fasting

It will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen Matthew 6:18 NIV

Fasting is a great way to break down your flesh and build up your Spirit. Not many do this, but when you do, keep it between you and God. Don’t speak on it with intention to sound Holy or to brag, but keep this sacred!

9. Praying For Your Enemies

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you Matthew 5:44 NIV

It’s promoted to curse out those who do us wrong or to plot against them. Here, Jesus says to do the opposite. You may think, “Well, this person did this to me, and that’s unforgivable”. Jesus was mocked and beaten, yet He still asked God to forgive them.