Matthew 5:1-2

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“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them.” 
Matthew 5:1-2
 

Jesus Christ teaches us.

Jesus Christ came to teach

    • He is the prophet the Lord announced to Moses: “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” (Deut 18:18);
    • He proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand—those who believed in Him could enter into fellowship with God;
    • He taught with authority. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees interpreted the Law of Moses according to their beliefs and sometimes their interests (Mt 23:16). Jesus teaches God’s will (Jn 7:16), eternally and universally valid (Lk 21:33);
    • His teaching is accessible to all—a child can understand Him (Mt 11:25);
    • He is an example—unlike the Pharisees (Mt 23:3), He does everything He says.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus sets out essential elements of His teaching, many of which were completely new to His audience:

    • in the Beatitudes, He explains that the misfortune that befalls humankind is neither a punishment nor an obstacle to their salvation;
    • He did not come to solve the problems of this world, but to bring eternal life;
    • obeying the precepts of the law does not grant salvation. To show that no one could obey the law perfectly, Jesus interpreted it very rigorously. To be angry with another person or to look at a woman with lust is a violation of the law that must be punished (Mt 5:21-22; 27–28). We must love our enemy and not resist them (Mt 5:39). Jesus teaches that only grace can save us;
    • faith in Jesus Christ, in His mission and teaching, is essential for salvation;
    • we must love God—do His will out of love and not out of self-interest (Mt 6:1-6);
    • we must love our neighbour—not judging them, doing to them what we want done to us;
    • we must pray like Jesus, asking God for what He wants to give us. 

We apply the teachings of Jesus
The Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus’s teaching (Jn 14:26). The Apostles sent by Christ teach us how to put it into practice (Mt 28:20). They urge us to:

    • come to the divine service—it is essential to hear the word preached (Mt 7:24; Rom 10:17);
    • adhere to Christ’s teaching—accept that Jesus gives priority to eternal life and that He grants the same grace to others as He does to us;
    • integrate it into our lives—the Pharisees’ precepts covered clothing, prayers, sacrifices and offerings. There was no need to think about them, just apply them. Jesus teaches the law of love. It is up to us to think about how to apply it. Let us be guided by the Holy Spirit. He does not decide for us, but helps us to make decisions based on the love of God and our neighbor;
    • persevere in faith and obedience until His return;
    • make Christ’s teachings known through our works (Mt 5:13-16).

Jesus Christ proclaimed God’s will with authority. Christ’s teaching is preached to us by the Apostles. We listen to the word and follow it, letting ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Sermon on the Mount  

Author: Jean-Luc Schneider