Are the lessons from Jesus’ well-known Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) still applicable to us today, and if so, how can we possibly apply them?

Whether we’re younger or older Christians in the faith, one realisation stands out: Every segment of the Sermon teaches us a principle which stands in stark contrast to common human thinking.

We all live in community and cannot avoid these world views such as: “you only live once”’, “get as much out of life as you can, “who will ever know about it ?” and “what is sex for, if not for pleasure?”.

They constantly confront us – especially as we encounter issues or situations where we need to make decisions or take ethical stands.

As one Christian writer puts it, Jesus’ counterpoints to certain secular views can be expressed this way:

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3) vs “You cannot be happy unless you are rich!” 
• “Blessed are the merciful” (Matthew 5:7) vs “Don’t let him get away with it!”
• “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4) vs “Laugh and the world laughs with you” 
• “Blessed are the pure in heart”(Matthew 5:8) vs “Sexual instincts should have free expression”
• “Blessed are you when men revile you and speak all manner of evil against you falsely because of Me” (Matthew 5:11)  vs “Seek to be popular and well-known”
• “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) vs “In time of peace prepare for war”

There is no doubt that by human strength alone, none of Jesus’ teachings are achievable. What’s more, when we do start practising them, we cannot expect the world to come into alignment with us.

What then are we to do? Treat the Sermon on the Mount as a fanciful ideal that we politely listen to every now and then, and lightly brush off as unattainable? Of course not! We see that Jesus wants us to live them out fully – rejecting the spirit of the world and following His Spirit instead.

TRANSFORMATION, NOT JUST SALVATION

Several times in the Sermon, Jesus is recorded saying: “You have heard that it was said… But I tell you”. He died for us so that we may be presented perfect to the Heavenly Father, which is why He presents us a new way of living that we must follow.

This is His command: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). We must therefore take the Sermon’s teachings as achievable and strive for them daily in all aspects of our lives.

Jesus knew that the Sermon set an impossible standard for humans. So He gave you and me supernatural power to carry them out. In John 16:13-14, He promised his disciples that when He left them, He would send them the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit.

Believers, we can rest assured and be encouraged: Christ has empowered us by the Holy Spirit who is now living inside us you. We’re enabled to live out the Sermon on the Mount with joy despite the hostility of this world.

Are you and I compromising? Are we settling for less than what Jesus wants us to have in our daily walk here on earth? Commit afresh to live out the Sermon on the Mount. Let us commit to boldly living out the principles of the Sermon and reaping the fruits that come with it.

This article was first published on YCKC’s website and is republished with permission.