The Sermon on the Mount,
Part 2
Matthew 5: 13-20
First Affirmative Statement:
v. 13 “You are the salt of the
earth.”
Earth: material plane/world
Salt: influence of children of the
Kingdom of God.
}Salt was an essential staple of the
ancient world
How can salt cease to be salty?
1.
It can be chemically altered
2.
It can become so diluted so as to
seemingly have no effect
WHEN THIS OCCURS SALT IS
VALUELESS AND USELESS AND IS
GOOD FOR NOTHING BUT TO BE
THROWN OUT.
Second Affirmative Statement:
v. 14 “You are the light of the world.”
1. Light by its nature cannot be
overcome by darkness.
2. “a city built on a hill cannot be
hidden.”
*built} building up of a soul or
building up the work of the Church
*hill} lofty of higher nature of this
kingdom work
3. Jesus then encourages us to let our
light shine before others that they
will follow it themselves and glorify
God.
Implications:
1. Don’t let the memory of what was or the
fear of what may be dominant and
enslave you.
2. Let our primary narrative be one of hope.
3. The only way to live in the face of
uncertainty and potential pain is to live
fully.
4. As we seek to live fully, we commit
ourselves to making the very most of
whatever life brings us.
5. 3 Wesleyan Rules:
*do no harm
*do all the good you can
*attend to the things of God
Matthew 5: 17-7:23 constitutes a
unit built on the three pillars of
Jewish religious life:
*the Law
*prayer
*almsgiving
v. 20 “Unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never enter the
Kingdom of Heaven.”
righteousness} term of relationship to
the purpose and the will of God
Kingdom of Heaven} state of the
purpose and will of God actualized.
Scribes and Pharisees} kept the letter,
but not the spirit of the Law.