The sermon on the mount spans across three chapters in Matthew. Chapter 5 begins by describing what is Kingdom righteousness. Chapter 6 describes how we are to practice Kingdom righteousness. This chapter focuses on the marks of a true disciple and ends with a call to follow Christ.
The right attitude of a disciple
v1-5 Jesus calls us to pursue righteousness without being critical of others. James 4:11-12 reminds us that each of us is personally responsible to do God’s Word. We are not to judge others but leave judgement to the Lord. We are called to spur one another on to righteousness but we must first allow the Lord to correct us before we seek to correct others. We should only seek to correct others in the same way that the Lord gently corrects us.
v6 Jesus teaches us that even though we may possess something of great value, we must be discerning over who we give it to. Giving it to the wrong people will result in a negative reaction. The Jews regarded pigs as unclean animals according to the Law (Leviticus 11:7) and “dogs” was a derogatory term used to refer to the Gentiles (Matthew 15:26). In light of the text, it suggests that Jesus was teaching His disciples not to force His commands on outsiders since that would only antagonise them and make them more adverse to the Gospel. This is also support by Paul who says that God word applies to believers since we have chosen to follow God, it does not apply to unbelievers who do not yet know God’s Word (1 Corinthians 5:12).
Question for Bible Study
What does Jesus teach about the way we view others?
The mark of a true disciple
v7-11 Learn to ask because God gives to those who ask. God is our Father in heaven who loves us more than our earthly fathers ever could and He is a God of blessing.
v12 While the Law and Prophets require that we treat others in the way we want to be treated, Jesus calls His disciples to a higher standard. In John 13:34, Jesus gives us a new commandment to love others in the way that He has loved us. The new commandment of Jesus does not nullify the commandments in the Law but fulfils and exceeds them.
v13-14 Disciples of Jesus are not called to follow the crowd. The journey of discipleship is not an easy one on our flesh but we must not give up. We should be alert when we find ourselves living in a manner that is similar to the majority. As disciples, we are called to be in the world but not off the world (John 17:14). Jesus also prepares us because following Him can sometimes be a lonely journey.
v15-20 Jesus teaches us to be on guard against false prophets. Very often, false prophets are difficult to identify because they disguise themselves well. While we should not judge others, we must carefully analyse the fruits of a person’s life to discern if they are true servants of God. Real servants of God will embody the Word of God in their character, personal life and ministry.
v21-23 Miracles are not necessarily an indication that a person has a personal relationship with Jesus. A person who is not saved can still invoke the name of Jesus to do miracles. It is not enough to know God but we must be known by God.
Question for Bible Study
How do we identify true disciples of Jesus?
A call to discipleship.
v24-26 Jesus calls us not to find security in the world but to build our lives on Him. Many people only focus on the outward appearance and neglect their spiritual life. While the foundation is hidden from view, the strength of the foundation determines whether we will be able to endure the storms of life. No matter how beautiful our lives may look on the outside, we will crumble when we encounter life’s troubles unless we build our lives upon Jesus and His Words.
Question for Bible Study
What does Jesus teach about building a strong foundation in our lives?
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