Disciples Digital Library

À la fin de son sermon, Jésus a revendiqué une autorité absolue pour ses paroles. Si nous les ignorons, nous risquons d'être rejetés par lui - Matthieu 7:21-28. “ Je ne t'ai jamais connu!  Retirez-vous de moi ! ” Ce sont les paroles les plus effrayantes que nous puissions jamais entendre de Jésus. Son avertissement démontre que les enseignements du Christ ne sont pas facultatifs. Les commandements du ‘Sermon sur la Montagne’ nous enseignent comment nous devons vivre en citoyens fidèles du Royaume de Dieu.

Jesus is the Greater Moses who interprets the Law and the Prophets and brings the covenant promises to completion . The life, words, and deeds of Jesus parallel key events from the History of Israel. He brings the things God began in the past to their intended conclusion. He is the Supreme Lawgiver prefigured in the story of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt and the receipt of the Law by Moses while on Mount Sinai.

The followers of Jesus are called to rejoice when they are found worthy to suffer for him and his Gospel . Persecution is always a possibility for the Church. We may face hostility from employers, neighbors, the government, and our family members because of our beliefs and practices. So, how should we react when the possibility becomes reality? Jesus and the Apostles provided clear instructions and examples of how we must respond when faced with persecution.

At the end of his sermon, Jesus claimed absolute authority for his words. If we ignore them, we risk rejection by him  – Matthew 7:21-28. “ I never knew you! Depart from me! ” These are the most frightening words we might ever hear from Jesus. His warning demonstrates that Christ’s teachings are not optional. The commandments of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ teach us how we are to live as faithful citizens of the Kingdom of God.

The reality of persecution raises important questions. How should disciples of Jesus react, especially when persecuted by the State? Is resorting to anger or acts of civil disobedience appropriate, or should they instead emulate examples from the life of Christ? In his teachings, he warned all men who decided to follow him to expect “ tribulation ,” and he summoned them to follow his path (“ If they persecuted me, so they will persecute you ”).

Jesus summons us to become “ perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect ,” yet how can we emulate the perfect righteousness of God? His explanation is clear – By performing acts of mercy for others,  especially our enemies . Self-sacrificial love is the heart of the Gospel and the essential nature of the merciful God. Was Jesus not the Messiah who submitted to an unjust death on our behalf when we were yet the “ enemies of God ”?

The life, words, and deeds of Jesus echo key events from the History of Israel. He brings the things God began in the past to their intended fulfillment. He is the Greater Lawgiver foreshadowed in the story of the Exodus from Egypt. By presenting parallels between Moses and Jesus, the  Gospel of Matthew  prepares us for the teachings of Christ, especially as represented in his ‘ Sermon on the Mount ’.

Fulfillment  is a key theme in the  Gospel of Matthew . With the arrival of the Messiah, the time of fulfillment began. What were the implications for the Law of Moses? In his ‘ Sermon on the Mount ’, Jesus provides clear answers. He did not come to settle the interpretive disputes between competing Jewish sects over the details of the Law but to  FULFILL  the “ Law and the Prophets .”