Jesus' Sermon on the Mount – A New Way of Living
Changing Behavioral Rules from Following the Law to Loving Others
Nov 1, 2009
Before Jesus began his ministry, the Jewish religion had a written code of conduct, behavioral expectations which had been handed down from generation to generation.
Although based on the Ten Commandments, which the Bible says were given to Moses by God, the original laws had been expanded and explained until there was a supplementary rule for every imaginable contingency. There were religious and cultural standards that defined acceptable behavior for each life event.
According to the Bible, everything upside down when Jesus arrived.
Raising the Bar: Living a Life Motivated by Love not Law
In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus presented a new way of living which was based on love rather than legal requirements. He gave many examples comparing the old law (The Ten Commandments) with his teachings:
- The Law of Moses said, “Do not murder or you will face judgement.” Jesus said don’t be so angry with another person that you curse or call him or her names or you will be deserving of judgement.
- The Law of Moses said, “Do not commit adultery.” Jesus said if a man lusts after a woman, he has already committed sin in his heart.
- The Law of Moses said, “A man can divorce his wife...” Jesus said a man who divorces his wife — except in the case of infidelity — causes her to commit adultery if she remarries. If he remarries, it is also adultery.
- The Law of Moses said, “Do not break your vows.” Jesus said that one should avoid making vows! He said be trustworthy and people will know you are honest so that your word is good enough.
- The Law of Moses said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Jesus said you shouldn’t want retribution or fight back. If someone sues you in court, willingly give them more than they want. If someone borrows something from you, don’t ask to have it returned.
- The Law of Moses said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Jesus said love your enemies and do good to them in return for the evil they do to you.
Setting High Standards Alienated Many Followers
Like many people today, the Jewish people of Jesus’ day knew the religious rules of life. Yet they found ways of not breaking the actual words of the laws while doing what they wanted. They acquiesced to the letter of the law but did not heed the spirit of the law.
It's said that Jesus’ words turned things upside down for these people; the minimum requirements for fulfilling the law were no longer good enough. Jesus wanted followers who were willing to do more than pay lip service to what God wanted. His ideas were so difficult, his standards so high, many people turned away from Jesus and his teachings.
According to the Bible, what Jesus tried to explain to the people — but most of them failed to understand — was that his ideas could not be carried out without supernatural help. Jesus taught that only God was able to change hearts from being self-centered to loving others enough to live this new way. It was only with a change in heart and perspective, gaining a new understanding of God’s love for humankind, that a person could be transformed.
Some Christians today may learn from history. Some believe that following moral codes, giving money and doing good for others from a sense of duty does not make a person right with God. However, Christians believe that following God, as Jesus explained it, means accepting God’s strength and power to live life motivated by love which often results in the same behaviors.
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