This chapter will finish the Sermon on the Mount which began in chapter 6 and runs through chapters 6 and 7. “Judge not” is a well known passag of scripture that may actually be too well known. Remove the log from your own eye, the Golden Rule, the wide vs. narrow gate and building on the rock are all in this chapter.
Matthew 7
“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.
Continue readingWe are on chapter 2 of the Sermon on the Mount. This is so much easier to read and discuss than the measurements of the tabernacle curtains or making the priestly garments. I’m not saying we shouldn’t read those chapters, obviously we did, but these words of Jesus have more direct application to the Christian life. Don’t just read over it and check a box on your checklist; read it, think about it, soak in it. Let it change you.
Matthew 6
“Be careful that you do not practice your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Continue readingIf you have been hoping for a longer podcast episode. then I have good news. If you were happy with the 8 and 9 minutes episodes we’ve been having, then you should say something when I ask for feedback. This is the first of three chapters that record Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. It’s not just that the chapter is 48 verses long, it’s that Jesus says so much good stuff.
Matthew 5
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up into a mountain: and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
Continue readingIn preparation for the Passion week and Easter, I’ve been preaching a series of sermons on things that Jesus said. Before we started, a 4-part series seemed like a lot. Now I almost wish we had started in January!
Most of these are taken from the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. They all try to cover too much ground for a single sermon, but let’s be honest: Jesus said some good stuff! I hope you enjoy.
Let’s begin by defining our terms. Most people have a concept of radical that may be hard to put into words. You could be a radical thinker in a good way that doesn’t involve overthrowing the government (but that’s one possibility). Miriam-Webster’s online dictionary gives 3 definitions, these are the two that apply to our discussion:
1) very new and different from what is traditional or ordinary
2) having extreme political or social views that are not shared by most people
Radical describes something new, different, or views that are not shared by most people. I contend that Jesus was radical from man’s point of view, but not from God’s. Continue reading
As Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) he offers some practical advice concerning his teachings. He says that anyone who hears his words and does them is like a wise man that built his house on a rock. Do we all know what happens next? The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew, but the house did not move. To not heed the word of Jesus is to be the foolish man who build his house on the sand; great was the fall of it. Continue reading
Matthew 5:13 is probably a familiar passage for most of us. Jesus tells his listeners during the sermon on the mount that they are the “salt of the earth.” You have likely heard many sermons on what it takes to be salt, how to be the salt, and how a little salt can make a big difference. Jesus goes on to say that without saltiness, salt isn’t good for anything. Just what is this saltiness he refers to? Continue reading
The Master's Table 