The Sermon on the Mount was a revelation through Christ to live wholeheartedly for God through faith.
Jesus left us the map to Him. The Sermon on the Mount lays out the instructions and the pathway to Christ. It tells us exactly what to do to fulfill our responsibilities as Christians. It tells us how to live so that we’re worthy of eternal life.
Following Christ means applying His teachings.
Growing up in the Catholic faith and attending Catholic school, I’ve read and heard scripture my whole life. They’re part of my religious and spiritual upbringing. Understanding and applying them, however, has been a lifelong endeavor.
Recently, I began watching The Chosen with my husband, and it has been a profoundly moving experience.
The story of Jesus’ life and ministry, as well as those of His followers, is portrayed with depth and honesty. Suddenly, all the Bible stories I thought I knew have come to life before my eyes. I cannot help but be moved.
The Chosen were, above all, human.
The disciples and followers of Christ argued, experienced moments of doubt, and yes, even sinned. Yet, they followed Jesus without question. They called Him Rabbi and Teacher, for that is what He was to them. They loved Him.
In being called, they understood the tremendous responsibility and the hardships they’d face. In witnessing His miracles and being directly in Christ’s presence, they understood the gift they’d been given.
They were chosen, not because they were special or divine, but because they were human and weak. Even so, they were open to the reality of who Jesus was, the promised Messiah, and they believed.
The Chosen accepted Christ exactly as He was.
Christ’s followers were drawn to Him, not because His power lay in earthly things.
Jesus was not a warrior or a King as the world knows these things. He was a humble, gentle man who walked among them with the light of the Spirit shining through Him.
It was hard for them at first to reconcile their preconceived notions of the Messiah with the reality of Jesus. However, they grew to understand that the love and compassion Christ exemplified were far more powerful than any sword.
Christ was God in human form, and He showed them in both word and deed exactly why He had come. “I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth,” John 18: 37. Not only did Jesus instruct them, He laid out the map they’d use to bring others to Him.
The Truth of Christ
The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7, conveys why Christ came into this world. In His own words, Jesus gave us the map to everlasting life. He also gave us the words with which to pray to our Father in Heaven.
He tells us exactly what to do and how to behave to live lives that are pleasing to God.
Blessed are those, He said, who are poor in spirit. Those who mourn, who are meek, and who thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful and the pure in heart. The peacemakers and those persecuted for His sake will see God.
How beautiful are those words, and yet, how difficult we often find them to fulfill. It’s not easy to turn the other cheek, to forgive those who have wronged us, or to love our enemies. Yet, that’s exactly what we are called to do.
Jesus’ message is clear — if you want to enter into the Kingdom, this is the path you must take. This is the map you must follow.
Daily Prayer for Courage to Follow Christ
Lord, thank you for your teachings and guidance. Though I am a sinner, You show me the path to salvation. Give me the strength of mind and purity of heart to live as You call me to live. May Your light and Your words live within me so that my life brings glory and honor to You. May I die to myself so that I may live forever with You in the kingdom to come. Amen.
JN Fenwick|mothjournal14 (© 2023-2025)
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