Matthew chapters 5-7 capture one of the richest passages in the bible. These words record the Sermon on the Mount, a teaching most agree to be the greatest sermon ever preached.
Here we see our Lord as the Master Teacher. In the most stunning manner Jesus instructs us in how to live. It is a marvelous NT exposition in light of the foundations we have been studying in Genesis 1-4.
In some ways the sermon is comprehensive; it covers a wide variety of topics related to Christian conduct. But it doesn’t read like a manual, as if we were to use these chapters as a resource book to come “look up” the right response to given situations. Instead, the words of Jesus penetrate deeply and redefine one’s entire approach to life. They “stick” in one’s spirit, powerfully reforming our minds and creating what they command.
Here in these chapters are words for wise living. In fact, one could approach the Sermon on the Mount as wisdom literature. Like the book of Proverbs, there is great value in daily returning to these verses. As they reshape your heart you will find yourself daily growing in the wisdom of our Lord.
It is worthwhile at some point to set aside a season to study this magnificent sermon. Here is a short list of resources that you might consider:
D.A, Carson; The Sermon on the Mount
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones; Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (my favorite!)
Sinclair Ferguson; The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World
John Stott; The Message of the Sermon on the Mount
These teachers will help you. Portions are difficult to grasp – we may find ourselves asking, ‘does this really mean what it sounds like it means?’ ‘How do I really live something out that is this radical?’ But clearly, though impossible on the one hand, Jesus does intend for us as His followers to live it out. Read, meditate, obey, and be changed! We serve a glorious Savior who invites us to come and follow Him to be like Him!
