TABLE OF CONTENTS I. THE OCCASION AND INTRODUCTION A. The Background of the Sermon B. What is the Sermon on the Mount? 1. What it is Not 2. What it Is II. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS A. The Characteristics of Those Who Attain 1. Characteristics in Relationship to God 2. Characteristics in Relationship to Man B. The Characteristics of Those Who Fail C. Characteristics in Relationship to the World 1. Salt a. Seasoning b. Preservative 2. Light III. THE CODE OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS A. Introduction B. The Law of Murder C. The Law of Adultery D. The Law of Divorce E. The Law of Oaths F. The Law of Non-Resistance G. The Law of Love IV. THE CONDUCT OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS A. Introduction B. The Giving of Alms C. Public Prayer 1. The Addressee 2. The Sanctity of God’s Name 3. The Kingdom Program 4. Daily Needs 5. Forgiveness of Sins 6. The Spiritual Warfare D. Fasting V. THE PRACTICE OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS A. Concerning Money B. Concerning Anxiety C. Concerning Judging D. Concerning Prayer E. The Core of Practice of True Righteousness VI. THE CAUTIONS OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS A. The Two Ways B. The Two Trees C. The Two Professions D. The Two Builders VIII. CONCLUSION And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, ... ~ Matthew 5:1-2 ~

The Sermon on the Mount, as it is commonly called, is found in two Gospels: Matthew 5:1-8:1 and Luke 6:17-49. In this study, the Sermon on the Mount will be subdivided into seven main divisions.

I. THE OCCASION AND INTRODUCTION

The first unit is the occasion and introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. This is found in Matthew 5:1-2: And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, ...

According to Matthew’s account, Yeshua (Jesus) went up into the mountain, and that is why this has been called “The Sermon on the Mount.” This is not the best title for what happened there, but the title is based on the place where these words were spoken, that is, on the mountain. In Matthew’s account, Yeshua spoke specifically to His disciples.

Luke 6:17-19 gives a more detailed account:

According to Luke’s account, the sermon occurred on top of a mountain, and this particular mountain had a level area. There are a number of mountains around the Sea of Galilee that would fit this description. Not only were the disciples there, but there were multitudes from all over the country, even Judaea and Jerusalem, though this occurred up in the Galilee. Furthermore, there were even Jews from outside the Land, from the coastal plan of Phoenicia and the cities of Tyre and Sidon.

Based upon Matthew and Luke’s introductions, and based upon the greater context in which this sermon is found, two other things should
be covered by way of introduction concerning the Sermon on the Mount: the background to the sermon, and exactly what the Sermon on the Mount is.

A. The Background of the Sermon

By way of background, four things should be noted. First, this sermon occurred after intense interest in the person of Jesus was stirred up. By this time, He had gone all over the country proclaiming His Messiahship and authenticating His claims with many miracles, signs, and wonders. That is why Jewish people were there from all over the country and outside the country as well.

Secondly, this occurred after the selection of the Twelve Disciples. In fact, it was immediately before this sermon that Yeshua selected and
closed His apostolic group of Twelve.

Thirdly, it came after there had been several conflicts with the Pharisees over the authority of Pharisaic Judaism, and after debates between Jesus and the Pharisees over its validity and the Pharisaic interpretation of the Mosaic Law or the righteousness of the Mosaic Law.

Fourthly, this was a period of Jewish history when the Jewish people were looking for redemption. It was a period of time when they were
suffering under Roman oppression and looking for some type of messianic redemption, primarily a national redemption from the servitude to Rome; nevertheless, they sought a redemption of messianic proportions. They were looking for the Messiah to come and establish His Kingdom in opposition to the kingdom of Rome. According to the Old Testament prophets, righteousness was the means of entering the Kingdom. Yeshua offered men righteousness, but He received opposition from the Pharisees. The Pharisees claimed to offer righteousness through Pharisaism, and by means of this Pharisaic righteousness, men would be able to enter the Messianic Kingdom. So on one hand, the Pharisees offered a form of righteousness; on the other hand, Yeshua proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom, and righteousness, according to the Old Testament prophets, was the means of entering the Kingdom. By this time, the question being raised among the Jewish masses was: “Is Pharisaic righteousness sufficient for entering into the Kingdom?” or, “What kind of righteousness is necessary for entering into the Kingdom?” With it came a corollary question: “Will He uphold Pharisaic righteousness?” or, “Will He substantiate that Pharisaic righteousness is the kind of righteousness necessary to enter into the Kingdom of the Messiah?”

From that perspective, the most important single statement in the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5:20: For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

With this one statement, Jesus repudiated Pharisaic righteousness on two counts. First, He repudiated Pharisaic righteousness as being the kind of righteousness that one needs to enter the Kingdom. Secondly, He repudiated Pharisaic righteousness as being a proper interpretation of the Mosaic Law. He repudiated Pharisaism as being the proper interpretation of the kind of righteousness that the Law demanded for entering into the Kingdom.

B. What is the Sermon on the Mount?

1. What it is Not
What is the Sermon on the Mount in its totality, as a unit? Three things it is not. First, it is not the “constitution” of the Messianic Kingdom, for that would require the reinstitution of the entire Mosaic Law, and that will not happen.

Secondly, the Sermon on the Mount is not the means of salvation, for that would mean that salvation is by means of works. This view is often expressed when someone says, “Well, all I need to get into Heaven is to follow the 'golden rule' found in the Sermon on the Mount.” Even if one followed the golden rule, he still would not be saved or get into Heaven, because merely following the golden rule will not save anyone. This is not a means of salvation.

Thirdly, it is not Christian ethics for this age, for this would require the believer to keep the entire Law of Moses. This point needs some
clarification.

There are things mentioned in the Sermon that later do become Christian ethics for this age. But as a unit, that was not its intent. If it were, then the keeping of the entire Mosaic Law, all 613 commandments, would be obligatory as Christian ethics for this age. Yet the Bible teaches that this is not the case. So, as a unit, it is not Christian ethics for this age, though things which are said in the Sermon later become Christian ethics for this age. How one can know what is and what is not applicable today is based upon what is said later in the Gospels or by the apostles in the Epistles.

2. What it Is
In its context–in the Jewish frame of reference in which it was spoken–the Sermon on the Mount is the Messiah’s interpretation of the standard of righteousness, which the Law demanded, put in contrast with the Pharisaic interpretation of the kind of righteousness, which the Law demanded. A better title for this “sermon” would be “The Messiah’s Interpretation of the Righteousness of the Law.” So, as a unit, it is the Messiah’s interpretation of the kind of righteousness, which the Law demanded, stated in contradistinction to the Pharisaic interpretation of the kind of righteousness, that the Law demanded. The difference is between mere external conformity in contrast to internal conformity that naturally lends itself to external conformity.

II. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

The second part of the Sermon on the Mount deals with the characteristics of true righteousness in Matthew 5:3-12 and in Luke 6:20-26. This second main division can be further subdivided into two divisions.

A. The Characteristics of Those Who Attain
The characteristics of those who attain the righteousness, which the Law demanded, are blessedness and happiness in Matthew 5:3-12 and in Luke 6:20-23. Matthew’s account states:

The Greek word translated blessed means “happy.” Happy are the ones who attain these various characteristics. This segment on the
characteristics of those who have attained this righteousness can be still further subdivided into two units.

1. Characteristics in Relationship to God
Verses 3-6 deal with the characteristics in relationship to God, and there are four.

First: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The opposite of being poor in spirit is being prideful. To be poor in spirit is “to have a right and proper evaluation of oneself toward God.” There is the recognition that one has no righteousness of his own, and
whatever righteousness he has is a righteousness received from God. So, one who is poor in spirit is totally dependent upon God for mercy
and salvation.

Secondly: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. To mourn means “to develop a sensitivity to sin.” Those who are sensitive to sin will naturally confess their sins to God and be mournful over their sins. Those who confess their sins to God will be comforted, because I John 1:9 promises that: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous or just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Thirdly: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. To be meek does not mean, “to be cowardly or mousy”; rather, it means, “to have a quiet confidence in God,” “a recognition of and submission to God’s authority.” Those who have this quality and live a life of submission to God’s authority will someday exercise authority over the earth when they inherit the earth in the Messianic Kingdom.

Fourthly: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. To be righteous is “to live consistently with a divine standard.” Those who thirst after living with a divine standard will attain that righteousness. In the context of the Sermon on the Mount, this standard was the Law of Moses.

2. Characteristics in Relationship to Man
Jesus then gave five other characteristics in relationship to man in Matthew 5:7-12.

First: Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. To be merciful means “to be compassionate,” “to be able to respond to the needs of others.” Those who are compassionate to others will receive compassion themselves, as they need it.

Secondly: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. To be pure in heart means “to be honest,” “to operate out of a proper motivation.” The actions toward fellow believers are to come from a proper motivation. These are honest dealings.

Thirdly: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. These peacemakers have nothing to do with governmental or political leaders who negotiate a state of peace between various nations. Rather, it has to do with the family of God. Those who attain His
righteousness will actively work to bring about a state of unity among the saints. They are the ones who are happy as peacemakers and are
truly the sons of God.

Fourthly: Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Again, to “live righteously” means, “to live consistently with a standard. Earlier, He spoke about one’s relationship to God which results in living consistently with a standard. If one truly loves God, he will live consistently with a divine standard. Also, if he lives consistently with a divine standard, he will love his neighbor. Indeed, the Mosaic Law demanded that one must first love God totally, and then love one’s neighbor as oneself. Yeshua Himself taught that these are the two primary commandments.

Fifth: Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. The fifth blessing is for those who are willing to live consistently in spite of persecution. Happy are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

These are the characteristics of those who attain true righteousness, characteristics in relationship to God and to man. While those who
truly attained the kind of righteousness, which the Law demanded, would have these characteristics, the Pharisees, in contrast, did not. For example, the Pharisees did not recognize their need for repentance since they felt themselves to be fully righteous. They submitted only to their own authority. They did not exercise mercy to those who truly needed it. They were concerned only with external elements of religion. They caused strife and discourse and were guilty of persecuting the saints. The characteristics listed in these verses were not found in Pharisaism.

B. The Characteristics of Those Who Fail

This is given only in Luke 6:24-26:

While happiness and blessedness characterized those who attained the kind of righteousness that the Law demanded, it was woe to those who failed. Yeshua declared four woes: woe to those who are merely seeking wealth; woe to those who are merely seeking self-satisfaction; woe to those who are merely seeking merriment; and woe to those who are merely seeking a reputation; because in the end, all of these things will fail. They may attain these things in this life, but it will be temporary and they will fail to attain these things in the Kingdom and for all eternity.

C. Characteristics in Relationship to the World

Matthew then recorded what Yeshua had to say about the characteristics of those who attain true righteousness in relationship to the world. in Matthew 5:13-16:

After dealing with the characteristics of those who attain the true righteousness which the Law demanded, both in relationship to God and to men, and after dealing with the woes for those who fail to attain this righteousness, He next dealt with the characteristics of those who attain this righteousness in relationship to the world in general and emphasized their influence. Those who attain true righteousness become two things.

1. Salt
First, they become the salt of the earth. In the ancient world, salt was used for two purposes: as a seasoning and as a preservative.

a. Seasoning
First, those who attain true righteousness are the ones who “season” this world and make life worth living. They are the ones who give encouragement, blessing, and mercy in spite of what the world around them may be like. This is often described in terms of the koinonia, or the fellowship, among the saints. It makes the righteous life worth living.

b. Preservative
Secondly, as a preservative, the ones who attain this righteousness are the ones who preserve the earth as well. In this context, Jesus was dealing with the Jewish nation under the Mosaic Law because, at this point in time, the Mosaic Law was still very much in effect. The ones who attain the kind of righteousness the Law demanded are the Remnant of Israel, the believing Remnant. From the beginning of Jewish history until the present time, the Jewish believing Remnant are the ones who attain this type of righteousness. As a result, they are the ones who preserve the nation of Israel as a whole. Many times in the Old Testament the prophets stated that the reason God refused to destroy the entire nation of Israel for its sinfulness was because of the believing Remnant within the nation. In that way, the believing Remnant is the salt of the earth in that it functions as a preservative; they preserve the existence of the nation.

2. Light
Secondly, the believing Remnant, those who attain this righteousness, are also the light of the world in that they provide spiritual light. They
point the way out of spiritual darkness. A person who is in pitch darkness and suddenly sees a light far away will naturally be drawn toward that light. Indeed, when the ones who have not attained this righteousness recognize the darkness in which they live and see the light, they will move toward the light. This light is provided by means of the believing Remnant.

Just how is this light provided? Verse 16 states the means by which light is provided unto the world: Even so, let your light shine before men. How? This is explained by the next phrase: that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The light is the good works of the saints.

Good works never saved anyone, but those who are saved will show evidence of their salvation by means of these good works. When the unbeliever sees these good works and responds to the light given off by these good works, he will naturally come to the light and become a believer himself, joining the believing Remnant. He will end up doing what verse 16 says he will do: “glorifying your Father which is in heaven.” So those who have attained the kind of righteousness which the Law demanded are to show it. The means of showing it is by good works. Again, good works are never the means of salvation; they are the evidence of salvation.

III. THE CODE OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

The third main division of the Sermon on the Mount concerns the code of true righteousness. It is found in Matthew 5:17-48 and in Luke 6:27-30, 32-36. This segment can be subdivided into seven small units.

A. Introduction

Yeshua introduced His theme on the code of true righteousness in Matthew 5:17-20:

In this segment, Yeshua spelled out His own relationship to the Law. He pointed out that He came for the purpose of fulfilling the Law; He did not come to destroy it (vv. 17-19). Indeed, He proved to be the only Jew ever who kept the Mosaic Law perfectly. He kept all 613 commandments of the Mosaic Law that were applicable to Him. Not all the commandments, of course, were applicable to Him, but He kept every one that was.

By keeping the Law perfectly, He could then, by means of substitution, take upon Himself the penalty of the Law for those who failed to keep it. Once He did this and shed His blood for it, He then rendered the Law inoperative, so that with His death and Resurrection, the Law was no longer in effect. He came to fulfill it and bring it to an end, not to destroy it. On the other hand, Pharisaism was destroying the Law by its many additions, reinterpretations and changes.

The Messiah’s purpose was to keep the Law down to its jot and tittle. The word jot is the Hebrew letter yod, which is the smallest of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The word 'tittle' is a small segment of a Hebrew letter; it is the only thing that distinguishes one letter from another. What Jesus meant by this statement is that He intended to fulfill the entire Law down to its smallest letter, even down to the smallest piece, segment, or part of a letter.

Having stated His own purpose for keeping the Law, He went on to repudiate the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law because Pharisaism was destroying the Law by means of its many added traditions (v. 20). Often these traditions got around the keeping of the Law. With this statement, He repudiated Pharisaism on two counts: first, as the proper interpretation of the kind of righteousness, which the Law demanded; and secondly, as the kind of righteousness for entering the Messianic Kingdom.

Following this introduction to the code of true righteousness, He then gave specific examples showing the difference between His interpretation of the kind of righteousness, which the Law demanded, in contrast to the Pharisaic interpretation of the kind of righteousness, which the Law demanded. What Yeshua did is this: He picked out six specific commandments of the Mosaic Law, and then differentiated His interpretation of the righteousness that each commandment required from the Pharisaic interpretation. The difference was between mere external conformity and internal conformity. The Pharisaic interpretation of the righteousness that the Law demanded was to declare that one was not guilty of violating the righteousness of the Law until he committed the act forbidden by the Law. However, He taught that this was wrong. While one was not guilty of the breaking of the letter of the Law until he committed the act, he had violated the righteousness of the Law even before that.

B. The Law of Murder

In Matthew 5:21-26, the first example is the law of murder:

The first example is the commandment: You shall not kill. According to Pharisaism, one was not guilty of violating the righteousness of this
commandment until one committed the act of murder. But Jesus said that was the wrong interpretation of the standard of righteousness, which the Law demanded. While one was not guilty of violating the letter of this commandment until one had committed the act of murder, one actually violated the righteousness of this commandment before then.

Before anyone commits the act of premeditated murder, he first develops an animosity toward the victim. Once the animosity is there
internally, the righteousness of this commandment of the Mosaic Law has already been violated. As soon as one calls someone else Raca, a Hebrew word meaning, “you empty head” or “you fool,” there is animosity internally that can later lead to the external act of murder. While it is the external act of murder that violates the letter of the commandment, the righteousness of the commandment is already violated once the animosity is there internally.

C. The Law of Adultery

In Matthew 5:27-30, the second example is the law of adultery:

The second example is the commandment: You shall not commit adultery. The Pharisees taught that one did not violate the righteousness of this commandment until he had committed the act of adultery. Again, Yeshua said that was wrong. Before one commits the act of adultery, one first lusts internally for a woman other than his wife. As soon as that lust is there internally, at that moment, the righteousness of the commandment has been violated. The letter of the commandment is only violated when the act of adultery is committed, but no one commits the act of adultery unless he first violates the internal conformity to the commandment by developing lust.

D. The Law of Divorce

The third example concerns the law of divorce and is found in Matthew 5:31-32:

In Deuteronomy 24:1, there is a commandment concerning the issue of divorce. The Pharisees interpreted that commandment to mean that one can divorce his wife for any and every reason. Even the mere burning of supper became grounds for divorce in the Pharisaic interpretation. Again, Jesus said that was wrong, because the kind of righteousness which this law of divorce was trying to perpetuate was to show that God hated divorce, therefore, the grounds for divorce were to be extremely limited. So He gave an example of a limited grounds for divorce. He said that now there is only one proper grounds for divorce: fornication. To allow divorce for any and every cause went beyond what the Law allowed, so the righteousness of the Law was again violated.

E. The Law of Oaths

The fourth example concerns the law of oaths, in Matthew 5:33-37:

The Mosaic Law definitely allowed the taking of an oath, but the Pharisees went well beyond what the Law allowed by trying to make an oath valid on the basis of swearing by God or by the earth or by Jerusalem. Their affirmation was always open to interpretation and always allowed for mental reservations. Of course, the righteousness of the Mosaic Law would not allow mental reservations. If one made an oath, the oath must be kept without any reservations whatsoever. Believers must affirm what they say; they must affirm that it is the truth. A believer need not make an oath on the basis of swearing by God, by heaven, by the earth, or by Jerusalem. By merely taking an oath on the basis of his own cognizance, he should be able to make a “yea, yea,” and a “nay, nay,” to keep that which he affirmed he would keep, and to refrain from doing that which he had sworn not to do.

F. The Law of Non-Resistance

The fifth example deals with the law of non-resistance, or the law of retaliation, in Matthew 5:38-42:

The next example Yeshua dealt with was the Mosaic commandment that spoke of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” Some have
misinterpreted His words as a repudiation of the Mosaic Law, but He did not come to repudiate the Law; He came to fulfill the Law, and this was part of the Law. Again, in its context, a distinction was made between His interpretation and the Pharisaic interpretation of the righteousness, which the Law demanded. The Pharisees interpreted an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth as grounds for personal vengeance and retaliation.

As far as the Mosaic Law was concerned, this commandment had to do with a judicial aspect. Punishment had to be by a proper court of law, and the punishment had to fit the crime. It was never intended that this commandment be taken as grounds for personal vengeance, because as far as personal vengeance is concerned, the commandment was: Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay. No one had the right to take personal vengeance against someone else, for this would mean taking the Law into his own hands. The commandment an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth was never intended for the purpose of personal vengeance, but rather for proper punishment to fit the crime as passed by a court of law. This was the righteousness that this commandment demanded; it demanded that the punishment be carried out in a proper way, not in the sense of personal vengeance or retaliation.

G. The Law of Love

The sixth example concerned the law of love. Matthew’s account is in chapter 5:43-48:

Luke’s account is more detailed in chapter 6:27-30:

Verses 32-36 state:

The last example that Jesus gave under the code of true righteousness concerned the law of love. The Mosaic Law stated: You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy (Lev. 19:18). Here, too, He has been misinterpreted as repudiating the Mosaic Law. But He clearly stated that He came for the purpose of fulfilling the Law and not to destroy the Law. For Him to repudiate this commandment of the Mosaic Law would contradict His very own words. Again, He was not repudiating the Mosaic commandment; He was repudiating the Pharisaic interpretation as to what this commandment actually meant.

The Pharisees interpreted this commandment in three ways. First, the neighbor was always the Jew, and the enemy was always the Gentile; so, one must love the Jews and hate the Gentiles. A second way they interpreted this commandment was that it was proper to have internal animosity and hatred toward those who were considered enemies, such as the publicans; so, it was permissible to hate the publicans. A third way the Pharisees interpreted this commandment was that a neighbor was a fellow Pharisee and an enemy was a non-Pharisee, particularly if he was someone like a Sadducee.

But the Mosaic Law never intended this commandment to be interpreted as a “blank check” for hating all Gentiles, or as a basis for personal animosity, hatred, or enmity toward those one considered one’s enemy, such as Sadducees or publicans. Rather, the Mosaic Law gave this commandment in the sense that one must love those whom God loves, but one must hate those whom God hates. For example, God clearly stated that He hated the Canaanites and their actions, and He commanded the Jews to exterminate them. This was to be a national action. Israel as a nation was to hate another nation, the Canaanites, because of their extreme wickedness against God. Because the nation of the Canaanites was God’s enemy, Israel was to look upon them as their enemies and hate them to the point of exterminating them as God had commanded. This was the basis for the commandment in the Mosaic Law. It was never intended to be used by individual Jews as grounds for exercising personal hatred, animosity, and enmity toward their fellow-man on an individual basis. Yeshua said that was not the proper interpretation of the righteousness of this commandment. It had to do with a national foreign policy toward another nation that God considered His enemy and had nothing to do with the personal animosity toward a fellow Jew or a Gentile.

IV. THE CONDUCT OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

The fourth main division deals with the conduct of true righteousness and comprises Matthew 6:1-18. In this section, there is a repudiation of Pharisaic action. Whereas in the previous section He repudiated the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law, here He repudiates the Pharisaic practices concerning the Law. This fourth main division can, in turn, be subdivided into four units.

A. Introduction

The first unit is the introduction in Matthew 6:1: Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

Just as in the previous section Yeshua began with an introductory theme or principle and then gave specific examples, He used the same pattern here. The principle concerns the contrast between mere externalism and true internalism. The point He made is that the practice of righteousness should not be done for the sake of merely being seen by men and to be approved by men, but rather it should be done for the sake of the Lord. Often these actions, therefore, need to be done in secret. He then gave examples in three areas.

B. The Giving of Alms

The first example, Matthew 6:2-4 was in the area of the giving of alms:

It was a common practice for the wealthy who were about to give a major donation to the Temple to let people know about it by announcing it through the sounding of the trumpet. It is obvious that this kind of practice was really to receive praise, approval and honor from men. The Mosaic Law certainly encouraged the giving of alms, both to the poor and to the Tabernacle or the Temple. But the true practice of the Law demanded that it should be done for the honor of God and not for the honor of self, so the principle was to do it in secret. Segments of the Church have often fallen into this kind of mentality and Pharisaism. I have been in more than one meeting where the speaker announced that he or she had received some kind of vision from God saying that ten people in the audience were to give a sizeable amount of money to that ministry, and they were encouraged to step forward and drop their gift in the offering plate on the front stage. Before long, that number of people would strut forward, seen by all, receiving oohs and aahs from all, as they publicly showed that they were giving a sizeable amount to that particular ministry. That is a violation of this principle. Believers are to do their almsgiving and giving of donations in secret. The concept of offering envelopes, used by many churches in which the gift can be placed so that only the giver and the church treasurer actually know who is giving how much, is a far more biblical way of giving.

C. Public Prayer

The second example, in Matthew 6:5-15, concerns the area of prayer:

In areas of Pharisaic Judaism, prayer tended to be public, with Pharisees congregating together in public to pray three times a day. Frequently the purpose of meeting three times a day was only to show how holy they were. Often in church prayer meetings, people pray only to show off their oratory skills. That is not the purpose of public prayer. Those who pray publicly only to show off their spirituality and their oratory skills have already received their reward and will receive no other reward from God. Jesus is not teaching against public prayer here, because public prayer and group prayer are encouraged elsewhere in Scripture. The apostles prayed as a group and in public in the Book of Acts. The point is that the purpose of prayer is to communicate with God; it is not for the purpose of showing off spirituality or oratory skills.

Furthermore, Yeshua said that one should not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do. None of the Gentile religions had extemporaneous prayer; all prayer was prescribed through prayer books. By the time of Yeshua, Judaism had deteriorated to the point of becoming like a Gentile religion in that all prayers were prescribed through prayer books. To this day, there is no extemporaneous prayer in Judaism, only prayer through prayer books. Unfortunately, in many segments of the Church today, there are prescribed prayers through prayer books, and this is nothing but vain repetition. Thus, He taught that prayer should not be prescribed. However, He also taught that prayer should not be haphazard, either. Rather, prayer should follow a specific outline. While it could be extemporaneous, it should still follow a basic format.

At this point, He gave what has come to be known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” however, it is merely an outline. It should not be called the Lord’s prayer since the true Lord’s prayer is found in John 17. This is simply a format for how prayers and the prayer-life should be organized. It is interesting to note what the Church has done with this so-called Lord’s Prayer. Even though Jesus taught not to use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do, the Church has often taken these very words and repeated them Sunday after Sunday, and has actually done exactly what He, a few verses earlier, said not to do: Do not use vain repetitions. When He said, in verse 9: After this manner therefore pray ye, He did not say to use these words in constant, vain repetition. He said to use this manner, this format or this outline. He then gave six points to this outline.

1. The Addressee
The first point is to address prayer to God the Father: Our Father who is in heaven. The Bible never teaches that prayers should be addressed to God the Son or to God the Holy Spirit. Rather, the teaching of Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments is that prayers should be addressed to God the Father.

2. The Sanctity of God’s Name
The second point is to sanctify God: Hallowed be your name. God should be sanctified and set apart. It is at this point in prayer that one should reflect upon the various attributes of God, how each attribute shows the uniqueness of God, and what practical ramifications it has for
believers in day-to-day living.

3. The Kingdom Program
The third point is to pray for the Kingdom Program: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. This is the time to pray for the salvation of family members or unbelievers with whom one has contact, for other saints, for the pastors and elders of the local church, and for the missionaries on the mission field. All these things are part of God’s Kingdom Program. This is also the time to pray for the Lord’s soon return; this is the time to pray, Maranatha (I Cor. 16:22), even so come Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20), come quickly, Lord Jesus. This is the time to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6) and for the salvation of the Jewish people.

4. Daily Needs
The fourth point is to pray for daily needs: Give us this day our daily bread. This is the time to pray for the rent or the mortgage payment, for food, or whatever else might fit the category of personal needs. This is also the time to pray for the needs of the ministry with which one is personally involved.

5. Forgiveness of Sins
The fifth point is to pray for forgiveness of our sins: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. In other translations, this is rephrased as, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is the time to confess our sins. The tendency is to think that confession of sins should come first so the slate can be wiped clean before one makes any requests known unto God. However, that is not the order given in this outline. After having addressed prayer to God the Father, after God has been sanctified, after praying for the Kingdom Program, and after praying for our own daily needs, it is time to wipe the slate clean. It is at this point that one can see that in order to have these requests answered, one needs to confess every sin of which one is aware since the previous confession. This is the time to ask the Lord’s forgiveness for even unknown sins and for the sin-nature with which believers have to contend. This is the time to apply I John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

6. The Spiritual Warfare
Finally comes the sixth point in the outline, which concerns spiritual warfare: And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This is the time to pray concerning the struggle with the sin-nature, concerning the war with Satan and the demonic forces, and also against the programming of the world. The spiritual warfare is a three-front war against the flesh–the sin-nature, against Satan and the demons, and against the world. It is the spiritual warfare with which the believer will have to contend at the end of prayer. For that reason, the prayer life should end by praying about the spiritual warfare, because when the prayer is concluded, the spiritual warfare begins in earnest.

Toward the end of the section on prayer, Yeshua pointed out something else. In order for the one praying to be heard by the Lord, he should have a forgiving spirit toward fellow-saints. If he is not willing to forgive those who have offended him, then he should not expect to receive “family” forgiveness from the Lord.

At this point, He did not say to end the prayer in His name. Remember, in this context He was teaching the standard of righteousness which the Law demanded and the kind of prayer, which the Law demanded. So He is dealing with the standard of righteousness within the scope of the Law of Moses, and praying in His name is something that only came with the new Law, the Law of the Messiah. Since, in this context, Jesus is concerned only with the Law of Moses, He did not state that one should ask in His name. At this point, He was only explaining the righteousness, which the Law demanded.

D. Fasting

The third example deals with the issue of fasting in Matthew 6:16-18:

In the Pharisaic practice of fasting, whenever one went through a period of fasting, he made sure everyone knew it. He would continually refer to his extreme hunger. If someone offered him food, he would say, “Oh no, I can’t eat now; I am separated to the Lord by means of fasting.” It became evident that the fasting was not to receive honor from the Lord; the fasting was to receive honor from men. Again, this illustrates the principle difference between doing it for the public and doing it in secret for the Lord. Believers are never commanded to fast. Fasting is purely an option, but if a believer chooses to fast, he must do so to honor the Lord and not to receive honor from men. So if a believer chooses to go through a period of fasting, he should not go around bragging about it. As soon as it begins to show that he is fasting, it is time to eat again.

V. THE PRACTICE OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

The fifth main division in the Sermon on the Mount concerns the practice of true righteousness. In Matthew’s account, this is in chapter 6:19-7:12. In Luke’s account, this is covered in chapter 6:31 and 37-42. This section on the practice of true righteousness can be subdivided into five smaller units.

A. Concerning Money

The first unit of the practice of true righteousness concerns the area of money, in Matthew 6:19-24:

The practice of true righteousness concerns the proper attitude toward money. Money is not something that should be hoarded for the sake of hoarding. Rather, money should be used in a proper way, for the purpose of purchasing our needs. It should be used for establishing family security. There is nothing wrong with having a savings account. However, when that becomes the all-consuming passion–as soon as the savings account becomes one’s security rather than God’s being one’s security–then one is no longer serving the Lord in the manner that he should. The principle concerning money is: “a person cannot serve two masters. One either serves God or serves mammon.”

Mammon is a Jewish term referring to “everything that this world has to offer materially.” It refers to the material things of this world. Either one is a servant of God or a servant of materialism, but one cannot serve both. If one is serving materialism–if material things are the basis for security–then God is no longer the basis for security, and that one is not a servant of God. God is not the master; mammon is the master. On the other hand, if one is truly serving God–if one’s security is in God and not in material goods–then one will have a proper balance concerning material goods. One will know how to use the money that is entrusted to him and will have a proper balance between what is merely provision for one’s family, present and future, in contrast with what becomes the hoarding of money and thus becomes the real trust and basis of security.

B. Concerning Anxiety

The second unit concerning the practice of true righteousness is the area of anxiety, in Matthew 6:25-34:

Concerning anxiety, Yeshua taught that one should not be anxious or overly concerned in a worrisome manner. It is all right to be concerned, but not to the point of worrying about clothing and food. Just as God provides these things for the animal and plant kingdom, God is going to provide these basic needs for believers. Thus, when a believer is anxious about the basic necessities of life, it shows a lack of faith in God and faith in materialism.

There are three things believers can always trust that the Lord will provide, with one exception. Believers can always trust the Lord to provide food on the table, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads; these are three basic needs. The only exception when this is not true is during periods of persecution of the saints. During those times, believers might have to go naked, freeze to death, or starve to death. But apart from periods of persecution against the Body of believers, God can be trusted for these three things. So it is wrong to worry about these basic necessities of life. These are things God has guaranteed that He will provide. The conduct of true righteousness teaches: seek ye first his kingdom, be concerned about doing the righteousness of God, and these things –food, clothing, and shelter– will be provided.

C. Concerning Judging

The third unit of the practice of true righteousness concerns judging. In Matthew’s account, this is in chapter 7:1-6:

Luke’s account of this section adds a few details that should be noted in chapter 6:37-42:

Concerning judging, the principle that Jesus gave is: Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. These verses have often been pulled out of their context and used to teach that believers should never be in judgment of anything or anyone, but that would violate many other passages of Scripture where believers are told to judge and to discern. The whole principle of church discipline requires that judgment be exercised. So He cannot contradict here what is the clear command in other passages of Scripture. Again, these verses must be kept within the context in which they are found; they must be kept within the Jewish frame of reference.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus interpreted the standard of righteousness, which the Law demanded in contrast with the Pharisaic interpretation of the standard of righteousness, which the Law demanded. The Pharisees had developed a whole body of added rules, regulations, and traditions beyond the Law of Moses and then demanded conformity not only to the Law of Moses, but also to the added Pharisaic rules and regulations. In that sense, they became legalists. They began to judge other Jews on the basis of their conformity to these added standards beyond the Scriptures. The spirituality of other Jews was determined by their conformity to these added rules and regulations.

What Yeshua taught was that no one had the right to add any rules and regulations beyond those which God Himself had given and make these additions a standard by which to judge the spirituality of others. Every believer has the freedom to live by rules and regulations that he has placed upon himself that are not mentioned in Scripture, but he does not have the right to insist that others follow those rules and regulations. So believers are to judge others on the basis of their conformity to the rules and regulations given by God in the Scriptures, but not to judge others on the basis of additional rules and regulations.

Unfortunately, the Church has been as guilty of this as the Pharisees have. Many churches have made more rules and regulations beyond the Scriptures, and they often judge the spirituality of other believers based upon them. Those who judge others on the basis of added rules and regulations are like those who try to take a mere piece of sawdust from a person’s eye, not realizing that they have a plank of wood in their own eye. Both the sawdust and the plank are made of the same thing, wood, and differ only in the size. The sawdust will merely irritate the eye, but a plank will cause the eye to be blinded. So those who are using unbiblical standards to judge others are the ones who have the planks. The ones who have the planks are viewed as trying to remove the sawdust from someone else’s eye. Yeshua said that this was all wrong.

D. Concerning Prayer

The fourth unit of the practice of true righteousness concerns prayer in Matthew 7:7-11:

Here Jesus added more truth concerning prayer: that there should be consistency in the prayer-life. While vain repetition should be avoided,
there is nothing wrong with asking for the same thing more than once. In fact, the Greek tense for the words ask, seek, and knock literally mean “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” and “keep on knocking.” Believers should be persistent in prayer-life, and God will gladly give
if He knows it will be for our own spiritual good.

E. The Core of Practice of True Righteousness

The fifth unit spells out the core of the righteousness, which the Law required. Matthew’s account is in chapter 7:12: All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Luke’s account is in chapter 6:31: And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

This is the core of the righteousness, which the Law demanded; this is the essence of it. In the practice of true righteousness, the principle is: however, a person would like for men to treat him that is the way he should treat others. This is often referred to as “the golden rule.” This is not the way of salvation; it is merely the way that those who are saved should conduct their lives. Yeshua said that this summarizes the Law and the Prophets in the area of the conduct of true righteousness.

VI. THE CAUTIONS OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS

The sixth division of the Sermon on the Mount deals with cautions concerning true righteousness. This section contains special instructions for those seeking the kind of righteousness they will need to enter into the Kingdom. This is covered in Matthew 7:13-27 and in Luke 6:43-49. The sixth division can be subdivided into four smaller units, each unit dealing with a pair.

A. The Two Ways

The first pair is the two ways in Matthew 7:13-14:

The first pair concerns the two ways. There are two ways by which one could try to enter into the Kingdom. The broad way is the way of Pharisaism, but that will lead to destruction and not to life. The standard of righteousness, which the Law demanded, the true standard upon which Yeshua expounded, is a narrow way. To enter the Kingdom, one must follow the narrow way that Yeshua taught and not the broad way that the Pharisees taught.

B. The Two Trees

The second pair is the two trees. Matthew 7:15-20, states:

Luke’s account is in chapter 6:43-45:

In the second pair, concerning the two trees, Jesus taught the principle: By their fruits ye shall know them, or as Luke states: For each tree is known by its own fruit. Which interpretation of the standard of righteousness the Law demanded was the correct one will be seen either by fruitfulness or fruitlessness. Indeed, if they follow the Pharisaic interpretation of the kind of righteousness which the Law demanded, which was only external conformity, and then this will produce bad fruit or fruitlessness. However, if they follow the Messiah’s interpretation of the standard of righteousness, which the Law demanded, and which had to do with internal conformity, that will, in turn, lead to external conformity; they will produce good fruit, or fruitfulness.

C. The Two Professions

The third pair is the two professions. In Matthew’s account, this is in chapter 7:21-23:

In Luke’s account, this segment is simply stated in chapter 6:46 as: And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

There are two professions and both may use the name of the Messiah. When the Judgment Day comes, many will make a profession: Did we not prophesy by your name, and by your name cast out demons, and by your name do many mighty works?

What the false professors were able to do in the name of a counterfeit Yeshua should not be missed. First, they were able to prophesy events, which did come to pass. Secondly, they were able to cast out demons. Thirdly, they were able to do many mighty works, such as miracles and healings. Here again is the difference between mere externalism and true internal conformity. Those who really follow the Pharisaic path, though they use His name, are using only these external evidences to try to prove their loyalty or their salvation. However, Yeshua will say to them: I never knew you. Even these external great accomplishments of some in His name, by themselves, are not evidence that they were of the Lord or even saved people. Satan can duplicate all of these things; he can duplicate many of the miracles of Yeshua.

So there will be two professions. The mere external ability to do great things is not the issue. The issue is whether one really does have internal regeneration. One can be truly saved, and never performed a miracle, yet enter the Kingdom, while many others who have done miracles in the name of a counterfeit Jesus will see themselves left out of the Messianic Kingdom.

D. The Two Builders

The fourth pair is the account of the two builders in Matthew 7:24-27:

In Luke’s account, this is in chapter 6:47-49:

In this final pair, Yeshua presented the Jewish people with a choice: they could continue building upon the Pharisaic interpretation of the righteousness of the Law, but that would mean building upon a foundation of sand. The structure built upon the foundation of sand would collapse, and they would fail to enter the Kingdom. On the other hand, they could build upon the Messiah’s interpretation of the standard of righteousness that the Law demanded, and that would be building upon a solid foundation of rock. These are the ones who will attain the righteousness that the Law demanded, and they are the ones who will enter into the Messianic Kingdom.

VIII. CONCLUSION

The seventh and final main division of the Sermon on the Mount is the conclusion of Jesus’ sermon, and also the conclusion of the people, in Matthew 7:28-8:1:

The masses recognized that there was an obvious contrast between His teaching and the Pharisees. The masses recognized two things.
First, He taught in a different manner than the Pharisees did. When the Pharisees taught, they always quoted previous rabbinic authorities.
Jesus, however, quoted no rabbi; He taught as One having the authority to interpret the Law and did not base His authority on previous rabbinic teaching. Secondly, the masses also recognized that there was a difference in content. They clearly understood exactly what He said and where He differed from the scribes and Pharisees.

When this Sermon on the Mount was concluded, the masses then had to make a decision: Would they follow this new Shepherd, or would
they follow the old ones? A minority chose the new Shepherd; the majority decided to follow the old, setting the stage for the national
rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus.

RECOMMENDED READING

If you enjoyed this Bible study, Dr. Fruchtenbaum recommends the following messianic Bible studies (mbs):

mbs 009: The Trial of the Messiah
mbs 016: Nicodemus, A Rabbi's Quest
mbs 020: How Did the Wise Men Know? or Is Astrology Valid?
mbs 028: The Olivet Discourse
mbs 031: Highlights of the Birth and Early Life of Jesus
mbs 032: The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
mbs 035: The Three Messianic Miracles
mbs 036: The Three Sabbath Controversies Between Jesus and the Pharisees
mbs 040: The Parables of the Kingdom
mbs 043: The Confession of Peter
mbs 044: The Transfiguration of the Messiah
mbs 048: Mammon of Unrighteousness
mbs 049: The Adulterous Woman
mbs 060: The Upper Room Discourses
mbs 061: The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus
mbs 069: The Agony of Gethsemane
mbs 070: The Death and Burial of the Messiah
mbs 075: The Resurrection of the Messiah
mbs 076: The Ascension of the Messiah
mbs 099: The Results of the Death of Messiah
mbs 127: The Birth and Early Life of the Messiah
mbs 134: How the New Testament Quotes the Old Testament
mbs 183: The Healing of the Man at the Pool of Bethesda: John 5
mbs 185: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: John 4:1-42

Many of Dr. Fruchtenbaum's studies are available for free online reading and listening at Ariel Ministries' Come and See. All of his materials are available for purchase at Ariel Ministries in various formats. Other select materials and resources are available at Ariel, as well.

Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Th.M, Ph.D., is founder and director of Ariel Ministries.