Disciples Digital Library

The reality of persecution raises important questions. How should disciples react to hostility and opposition, especially when they are persecuted by the government? Should they resort to indignation, civil disobedience, and public protests, or ought disciples of Jesus emulate his example?

Mercy and love are the defining characteristics of the disciple and reflect the true nature of his Father  – Matthew 5:43-48.  In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts his disciples to become “ perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect .” But how can anyone hope to achieve the perfect righteousness of God? His answer is clear - by performing acts of mercy for your enemy.

In Matthew’s gospel, the life and deeds of Jesus echo key events in the history of Israel, not that he reenacts them, but instead, he brings what God began in the past to fruition in the kingdom of God. The Nazarene is the Greater Lawgiver foreshadowed in the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt.

Jesus came to bring all that is promised and foreshadowed in the Hebrew scriptures to fulfillment .  Fulfillment  is a prominent theme in Matthew’s gospel - with the arrival of the Messiah, the time of fulfillment has arrived. All that was anticipated in the Hebrew Bible began to come to fruition. But with his advent, what are the implications for the Law?

The  Sermon on the Mount  is  NOT  a program for reforming civil society, implementing economic justice, or a perfect society. Instead, it provides clear instructions for how his disciples must live in the present age as faithful citizens and envoys of  HIS  kingdom. And his teachings are  NOT  optional, and Jesus concludes his discourse with a stern warning.