These verses in the Sermon on the Mount are among the most powerful yet most resented of all moral teachings. Jesus’ message of non-retaliation and active love toward enemies seems unrealistic and impossible in our hate-filled world. But this way of Jesus is how the kingdom of heaven breaks into the world’s cycle of evil and overcomes it for good, and is itself the very character of God.

These verses in the Sermon on the Mount are among the most powerful yet most resented of all moral teachings. Jesus’ message of non-retaliation and active love toward enemies seems unrealistic and impossible in our hate-filled world. But this way of Jesus is how the kingdom of heaven breaks into the world’s cycle of evil and overcomes it for good, and is itself the very character of God.

Why call on anyone to attest to your word and not keep it? Jesus gives a clear and direct warning: to leave off making pretentions oaths and the needless unfulfilled obligations they create and to adopt the freedom that comes with simple rigid honesty.

Why call on anyone to attest to your word and not keep it? Jesus gives a clear and direct warning: to leave off making pretentions oaths and the needless unfulfilled obligations they create and to adopt the freedom that comes with simple rigid honesty.

Imagine having to consider the topic of adultery, divorce & hell all in one sitting? The sermon on the mount is aiming to get under our skin in more ways than one.

Imagine having to consider the topic of adultery, divorce & hell all in one sitting? The sermon on the mount is aiming to get under our skin in more ways than one.

Who has never been angry? In our text Jesus puts his finger on a certain form of anger that can become detrimental to our worship of God.

Who has never been angry? In our text Jesus puts his finger on a certain form of anger that can become detrimental to our worship of God.

There are two groups of people. People who want to get rid of God’s law, and people who think they can keep the law better than Jesus. Jesus addresses these two groups to tell them that He came to fulfil the law so that we can live in the true goodness that His kingdom demands and offers.

There are two groups of people. People who want to get rid of God’s law, and people who think they can keep the law better than Jesus. Jesus addresses these two groups to tell them that He came to fulfil the law so that we can live in the true goodness that His kingdom demands and offers.