Exodus 20 2-17 lists what we know as the "Ten Commandments". Matthew Chapter 5, 6 & 7 contain the "Sermon on the Mount". Jesus made it clear that the Ten Commandments would never pass-away, and that if anybody taught us to ignore them or brake them, that person will be in danger. "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven" [Matt 5:19a]. So Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is NOT a replacement of the Law and Ten Commandments, but a RE-INTERPRETATION.
Although the Ten Commandments do reveal God's inherent holiness, they are PROHIBITIVE and dictate to us what NOT-TO-DO. They command us to deal with our desire to sin, using the Commandments as an external force to control our actions. God sent Jesus to take us deeper..! Sin begins in our heart, not our hands...! So Jesus reinterpreted God's Commandments, revealing to us the SPIRIT of the law, and not the LETTER only.
Commandment
- Have no gods before Me.
Don't take the Lord's name in vain.
Keep the Sabbath.
Honor your Parents.
Don't murder.
Don't commit adultery.
Don't steal.
Don't lie.
Don't covet your Neighbor's wife.
Don't covet your neighbors goods.
Sermon on the Mount
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Do not swear either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
In everyday language here is what Jesus was saying:
Commandment
- Have no gods before Me.
Don't take the Lord's name in vain.
Keep the Sabbath.
Honor your Parents.
Don't murder.
Don't commit adultery.
Don't steal.
Don't lie.
Don't covet your Neighbor's wife.
Don't covet your neighbors goods.
Sermon on the Mount Put God FIRST always, give Him the priority in every area of your life, and the confusion will become ORDER.
Respect and Revere God,recognizing Him as the SovereignCreator of the Universe, thereforerendering respect to His name andHis Person.
Dedicate special time to worship God and take a well earned rest,both yourself and those who you employ.
Respect those who God used togive us the gift of life, the privilege to live as Humans on God's wonderful Earth, to experience love and Community.
Forgive, let live and God judge.
Live in the spirit of self-control.Walk in the Spirit and won't fulfill the lusts of your flesh.
Respect the property of others and the fact that they worked hard to have what they have. We don't need to steal, we need only ask our Father who loves us more than the Birds of the air.
Keep your word and live honestly,seeking God's righteous will cause us to prosper.
Purity will keep your life sane and simple.
Be content in lack and abundance, knowing that God will add all you need to you as you seek His kingdom. This is the only road to freedom. Live simple, so others can simply live.
Sin is NOT the problem... sin is only the SYMPTOM of the problem, and the problem is our sickness. Sin is the symptom of the sickness of FALLENNESS. Rather than dealing with our sickness symptomatically, Jesus goes straight to the heart and deals with the real problem, our FALLEN HEARTS, our fallen nature. Sin begins in the heart, not our hands. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is the ANTIDOTE for our sickness of fallenness. An Antidote is medicine which counteracts poison, something that is given to counteract and neutralize an unpleasant feeling or situation. Jesus' words have the POWER to neutralize the poison of sin and resurrect our hearts that were once PURE... before the world got hold of us..!
If we will take time to meditate on God's ANTIDOTE, His Word, our hearts will be changed and our sin will decrease... which in short means, we'll hurt less people around us... because hurting people hurt others...!
Peace and Good,
+Tony PALMER (EU) The Ark Community www.thearkcommunity.org
