The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew's Version

Take Every Passage to Prayer - Volume 2, The Gospels
^{Saturday June 29, 2024}

Matthew 5:1-7 to 7:27

Father, the Sermon on the Mount is my guide for how I should live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I ask that I will be a talking and walking 21st century example of the portrait of a true disciple that Jesus described in this sermon 2,000 years ago. Amen.

What Does a Disciple of Christ Look Like According to Matthew 5:1-7:27?

1. The godly heart of a disciple of Jesus Christ:
   
   
1. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: A disciple of Jesus Christ knows he is nothing in and of himself. He deserves no praise and no glory. He believes You alone deserve all honor and worship. It is this kind of heart that is welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven.
   
2. Blessed are Those Who Mourn: A disciple of Jesus Christ is heartbroken by their sin. He has offended You, the God he loves, and it gives him great sorrow. He despises his sin and wants nothing to do with it. It is this kind of heart that is comforted by receiving forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
   
3. Blessed are The Meek: A disciple of Jesus Christ does not rebel from You. He surrenders his life to Him. He obeys His commands. He dies to self and lives for Christ alone. It is this kind of heart that You reward with meaning and purpose in this world. Such a heart makes a difference in this world.
   
4. Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness: A disciple of Jesus Christ wants to know how to live a righteous life. He wants to know Your Word inside and out. He wants to be in communion with You, directed by Your voice throughout each and every day. He wants to please You because He loves You. Such a person will know a satisfaction and fulfillment the likes of which no one who doesn’t thirst for righteousness can understand.
   
5. Blessed are the Merciful: A disciple of Jesus Christ loves people unconditionally. He cares for them, and he doesn’t judge them. He is welcoming, kind, and generous. He forgives those who hurt him, and he doesn’t expect people to pay him back if they borrow from him. It is this kind of heart that receives mercy from You when they offend You.
   
6. Blessed are the Pure in Heart: A disciple of Jesus Christ not only mourns the sin in his soul, but he also runs from the temptations in the world. He wants nothing to do with evil and wickedness. He avoids evil people and stays far away from anything that could corrupt his heart and mind. You won’t catch evidence on his computer that he looks at pornography late at night. What is the reward for this kind of heart? This person will see the holy and pure You face-to-face.
7. Blessed are the Peacemakers: A disciple of Jesus Christ is a gentle and peaceful soul who has that special something, a gift to calm people down when the storms of life are raging. Such a man does not start conflicts; he ends them. Such a man brings peace to a family in distress, a life that is suicidal, and a community that is embattled. You love to call such a man Your child.
   
8. Blessed are Those Who are Persecuted for Righteousness:  The world hates godliness and godly people. The world hates those who prove that living righteously is possible in our temptation-saturated world. The world hates the guilt and shame this is felt when they witness a man walking with You. It is this kind of heart, that perseveres in righteousness even while suffering persecution, like those that are poor in spirit, that is welcome in the Kingdom of Heaven.
   
9. Blessed are Those Who are Hated Because They Love Jesus: The world hates Jesus with all of its fiber. Therefore, it is also going to hate those who have confessed that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. The world wants Jesus-lovers to be humiliated, marginalized, and silenced. When a disciple of Jesus lives a life beyond reproach, where nothing can be charged against them, the world will manufacture lies to discredit him. A man who receives such abuse should rejoice. He is in good company. Such a man will receive great reward in heaven just like the prophets of the Old Testament, who prophesized the coming Messiah, have received for experiencing the same thing.
   
   
2. A disciple of Jesus Christ, with a godly heart like that, is to impact the world.
   
   
1. Just like salt preserves meat from decay, disciples of Jesus are to preserve our communities from decay. The godliness of disciples is to transform individual lives, families, organizations, institutions, and businesses, so that entire communities become godlier. A town or city should exemplify the godly people who live there. Disciples of Jesus are not asked to keep their faith to themselves. Disciples who do not impact the world around them really have no usefulness to You where they live and work. They should be discarded, just like useless salt.
   
2. Just like the lights of a city give hope to approaching weary travelers in the dark of night, so the disciples of Jesus give hope to those living in spiritual darkness. A disciple of Jesus is that voice of hope, faith, peace, joy, and optimism that draws the lost and weary to Jesus. A disciple of Jesus is that person known for their kindness, compassion, generosity, and goodness. It is useless to be a godly man or woman who hides his or her light under the bowl so no one will see it. A disciple of Jesus is that light volunteering on a food line, joining the school board, and coaching the youth soccer game.
   
   
3. A disciple of Jesus Christ loves Your law.
   
   
1. A disciple of Jesus Christ does not change Your Word to conform to the latest fashionable beliefs and ideas. He does not delete verses from the Bible, change verses in the Bible, misinterpret verses in the Bible, or add verses to the Bible to fit the latest philosophies, wokeness, and political correctness.
   
2. A disciple of Jesus Christ loves Your law with all of his heart and soul. A disciple of Jesus Christ loves to obey all of Your laws, not to earn salvation, but simply to please You out of their deep love for You. A disciple of Jesus Christ loves to teach others how to obey Your laws.
   
3. The disciple of Jesus Christ does not depend upon obedience to Your law to earn salvation. The minimum standard for entrance into Your Kingdom is perfection. The disciple of Jesus Christ knows perfection is impossible for him. Therefore, he depends upon the cross of Jesus Christ to wash away his imperfection and to give him the perfection of Jesus. Because of Jesus Christ, His disciples stand before Him as if they had never disobeyed any of Your laws.
   
4. A disciple of Jesus Christ understands that obedience to Your law requires his love for his neighbor.  The disciple who doesn’t love his neighbor cannot obey Your law since the law requires love for his neighbor. What does it look like to love your neighbor?
   
1. He never gets angry with them. If he does, he is guilty of murder.
2. He never lusts after them. If he does, he is guilty of adultery.
3. He settles his differences with someone immediately, even before worshipping You. It might also keep the disciple out of legal trouble.
4. He doesn’t divorce his spouse except for sexual immorality.
5. He doesn’t make promises he doesn’t plan on fulfilling. He doesn’t swear by You or by himself, either of which is of the devil.
6. He doesn’t seek revenge. Instead, he becomes servant to the one who has hurt him and depends upon You for justice.
7. He loves and prays for his enemies, emulating Your perfect love that sent Your Son to die on the cross for Your enemies. Loving his friends is easy; the ungodly can do that too. It is loving his enemies that proves that the disciple is a child of Yours.
   
5. A disciple of Jesus Christ will take whatever action is necessary to prevent themselves from succumbing to temptation. Such a disciple will go so far, metaphorically speaking, as to remove their eye, or cut off their right hand, if it causes them to sin. In other words, a disciple of Jesus Christ will take drastic measures to change how they live their lives in order to avoid sinning again.
   
   
4. A disciple of Jesus Christ loves You.
   
   
1. A disciple of Jesus Christ only wants to please You. He doesn’t do good works to please others. That’s what the hypocrites do. A disciple of Jesus Christ does good works in secret, not telling even his closest family and friends, so as to not draw attention to himself. You will see what he does out of love for You and reward him.
   
2. A disciple of Jesus Christ prays privately. He has a personal relationship with You and enjoys the time alone with You – just him and You. He delights in prayer because it is time to share what is on his heart with You. A man who prays to impress others is a man who is not really praying to You. What does genuine prayer look like? It is humble and submissive before You.
   
1. The disciple of Jesus Christ praises You for who You are.
2. The disciple of Jesus Christ asks that Your Kingdom will rule all.
3. The disciple of Jesus Christ asks for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
4. The disciple of Jesus Christ asks You to provide him with all that he needs.
5. The disciple of Jesus Christ asks You to forgive his sins, just like he forgives those who have offended him. His forgiveness of his sins by You is dependent upon his forgiveness of those who have wronged him.
6. The disciple of Jesus Christ asks You to direct the steps of his life away from places where temptation from the evil one will be too strong for him. He doesn’t want to sin against You.
   
3. A disciple of Jesus Christ fasts privately. Fasting is a time for the disciple to draw closer to You, reflecting on his walk and relationship with You. It is not a time for the disciple to impress his friends and family. Fasting to impress others would be like a man inviting You over for dinner for private conversation only to spend the entire night outside telling everyone that You are seated at his table. You will reward a disciple who fasts only if they have the right heart.
   
4. A disciple of Jesus Christ has his heart focused on Your Kingdom. He doesn’t live for the wealth, fame, influence, power, and pleasure of this world. He lives to build Your Kingdom, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with people far and wide who need the forgiveness of sins. In doing so, he will be rewarded with treasures in heaven for serving Your Kingdom. A disciple of Jesus Christ doesn’t waver in his focus, switching back and forth between serving Your Kingdom and serving the world. A man cannot serve two masters. A disciple of Jesus Christ sees with his eyes only Your glory and, therefore, all is well with his soul. If he sees something other than Your glory, his soul is dark and evil.
   
5. A disciple of Jesus Christ doesn’t worry. A man who worries is a man who doubts Your character. A man who worries doesn’t think You will come through for him. Worrying accomplishes nothing. Look at the grasses of the field and animals who are provided for by You and they don’t worry. As long as the disciple of Jesus Christ is focused on building Your Kingdom and spreading Your righteousness, he can be certain You will meet all of his needs.
   
6. A disciple of Jesus Christ seeks the spiritual growth of others for Your honor. The disciple wants his friends and family to honor Jesus Christ in their lives. However, he does not judge them. A disciple of Jesus Christ examines his life, and the Word of God, and determines where he needs to change. He prayerfully makes the changes in his life, supported by godly men and women who mentor him. Once he has grown, he then lovingly and patiently counsels his friends and family to walk in a closer relationship with You.
   
7. A disciple of Jesus Christ loves Your gospel so much that he does not share it with those who have expressed their hatred for it. The gospel is meant for those who are humbly seeking a relationship with You. The gospel is not meant for those who want nothing to do with You. A disciple of Jesus Christ, in his love for You, has the sense to invest their time and energy sharing the gospel with only true seekers of Jesus Christ.
   
8. A disciple of Jesus Christ believes You can do the impossible. The disciple has faith that there is nothing You can’t do to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. The disciple has faith that You will give them whatever they need, including gifts of the Spirit, to do the work You have asked them to do. The disciple asks for the impossible for the sake of Your glory. The disciple looks for opportunities to glorify You and asks You to be glorified in them. The disciple knows that You, the perfect loving Father, will give only what is best for him to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ.
   
   
5. A disciple of Jesus Christ is not vulnerable to the messages of false prophets. The disciple examines the lives of those who teach:
   
   
1. To see if there is evidence that You have transformed their hearts and minds.  Is their fruit good (Galatians 5:22-23)? If so, their doctrine is true. If their fruit is bad, their doctrine is false. A true prophet is a man of good character in each and every situation.
   
2. To see if they are true believers in Jesus Christ. Their good fruit does not prove they are Your children. Many will come before You in heaven who will claim they bore good fruit, but You will cast them out. They didn’t place their faith in Jesus Christ alone. The measure of a true disciple of Jesus Christ is his faith in Christ alone for salvation.
   
3. To see how they handle the storms of life. A true disciple of Jesus Christ places his faith in You, the rock, when the storms of life come. He has peace, courage, and confidence. He does not crumble under the pressure. He is not anxious and insecure. A false disciple of Jesus Christ places his faith in sand, such as wealth, power, fame, influence, government, friends, firearms, worldly philosophies, or anything else that isn’t You. When the storms of life come, he falls apart.
   
   
6. How many genuine disciples of Jesus Christ are there? Few. Broad is the road to hell and narrow is the road to heaven. Why? Few are willing to be true disciples of Jesus Christ.