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How to Live the Sermon on the Mount In the
Beginning The Matthew chapters 5-7 Sermon on the Mount begins with the Beatitudes, to which the reader is amply referred in The Beatitudes and More in the 2005 January issue; and Living the Beatitudes, which is the theme of the 2002 May/June issue. In this issue we go beyond the Beatitudes in How to Live the Sermon on the Mount. Exceeding the Righteousness of the Pharisees asks each of us if we feel holier than others. ‘Getting even,’ thinking of another brother as a moron, or as a villain, are progressive stages in the ruin of a Christian, as sketched in Sore, Stupid!, and Scoundrel! Agreeing with Thine Adversary reminds us of the benefit of controlling our tempers. How each Christian, and the local congregation, should respond to the increasing prevalence of fornication, adultery, divorce and remarriage is tackled in The Words of Jesus Regarding Marriage and Divorce. Yes Means Yes! reminds us that half-truths, so-called “little white lies,” and other deceptions, are shameful. Our Lord sees through them, whether man does or not. Why we must learn to be kind even to our enemies is addressed in Love Your Enemies. Some Thoughts on the Lord’s Prayer focuses on what we are really to pray for. Without the attitude of forgiveness, we are asking God to not forgive us, as outlined in Forgive Us … As We Have Forgiven Others. Where are Your Treasures? shows us a balance between providing things honorable in the sight of all versus not trusting the Lord to provide things needful. Judge not others by appearance but rather let us judge ourselves that we be not judged, is the message of Judge Not. Concluding this theme, Ye Shall Know Them by Their Fruit draws attention to the fruit of the spirit, as measured by behavior rather than by overpowering leadership. An Electronic Bible Study Guide is appended in this issue to assist us who live in the computer age to gain faster access to Bible translations and more efficient use of other Bible study helps. |