The Sermon on the Mount

The most misunderstood scriptures?

The Sermon on the Mount. As a child, I could always find this passage by looking for the pages with the most red (For those not familiar with what I'm referring to, Red Letter Edition Bibles print Jesus' words in red ink). I think the words of Jesus found in Matthew 5-7 have to be the most recognized the world over. Let's see, there are the "Beatitudes" (Blessed are...), the commands to Let your light shine, Turn the other cheek, Forgive or you'll not be forgiven and Judge not lest ye be judged. This is also where Jesus made the suggestion about ripping your eye out or cutting off your hand to keep you from suffering the fate of hell-fire! The Lord's Prayer is in there, too. I could go on, but you know what it says, don't you?

These words may be the most familiar, but I also think they are the most misunderstood. For many, the Sermon on the Mount, with all its principles, discipleship emphasis and morality, IS Christianity. After all, it's said that if you're going to follow Jesus then you need to do what he said to do, and this is what he said to do. Of course, it's been assumed for centuries that we actually understood what he really said. What I offer for your consideration is firmly rooted in the context, not only of the individual accounts, but also in that of the old covenant which Jesus came to fulfill.