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“Sermon on the Mount Conclusion”
As we come to a close in our study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we find some of Jesus’ most profound and important teachings in this discourse, as well as in His entire ministry. His final words in the sermon are words both of warning and exhortation, meant to steer us toward the kingdom and away from the foolish things of the world. Let’s examine the themes of Jesus’ final exhortations in this wonderful discourse, as well as Matthew’s final comments about Jesus’ teaching.
Doing The Father’s Will
“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matt. 7:21-23)
There are those who teach that as long as one believes in Jesus and is a professed “Christian” then they will be saved, but James tells us that “even the demons believe, and tremble” (2:19), and that “man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (2:24)! The emphasis is on doing the Father’s will, and that means not only believing in Jesus, not only professing His name, and not only doing works, but rather doing all of these things by the Lord’s authority and will! Jesus tells us here that some who profess to follow Him and do His will are not going to enter the kingdom because they were actually workers of lawlessness!
Wisdom in Foundation
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matt. 7:24-27)
According to Jesus, each of us are building a house as we go about our lives. The house is representative of our life itself, the decisions we make and the actions we take. And each of us chooses to build this “life-house” on some kind of foundation; some teachings, doctrines, or philosophies that we subscribe to which might originate from some outside source or from ourselves. Those who choose to build their lives on Jesus, hearing His words and doing them, are like a wise man who builds his house on the firm foundation of a rock. Others who choose to build their lives on some other source, not hearing or doing the words of Jesus, are like the foolish man who chooses sand as the foundation for his house!
In come the storms beating upon our “life-houses”; tragedy, illness, financial difficulty, emotional problems, and the general flow of life all take their toll on our lives. And then comes the final storm: death and judgment, which is the truest test of our foundation and the strength of our house. The only strength and security we can have in life through each of these storms is knowing that we are hearing and doing the Lord’s will; If that is not our foundation, then nothing is certain and in the final storm of judgment we will be washed away forever!
Authority of Jesus’ Teaching
“And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matt. 7:28-29)
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he left those he taught speechless and amazed. Here His teaching has the effect of astonishment; Some could not believe the things he said, others feared and some may have even panicked! But what was so startling about the way Jesus taught was that he was so different from the other teachers of the day; In His sermon, Jesus did not spend His time citing case law and quoting other rabbis, but rather He taught as one having authority with instruction straight from the Father!
As we study our Bibles and the words of Christ, let us learn from the Master like we learn from no other, submitting to His authority, doing the will of the Father in heaven, and making Christ our foundation, so that we might stand in judgment to hear those blessed words: “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21)
