I was originally just going to write a short book review about Studies In The Sermon On The Mount by Oswald Chambers
Even if you don’t have time to read my entire synopsis, at least scroll down and read the quotations from the book (in italics). That will give you something to ponder for a good while.
Oswald Chamber is a weighty writer, diving deep into the meaning and application of Scripture. Some people may think he is hard to understand, but following the advice in the foreword of this book will bring you to a point of understanding what he is saying:
“But,” says some simple soul, “I don’t understand him.” The more is the pity. Leave then the evening newspaper, the book of religious wonder-tales, the high-flown writings watered with adjectives, but empty of thought or power, and read these pages again and again until the truth soaks through to your innermost consciousness.
Chapter 1: His Teaching and Our Training
Matthew 5:1-20 (I’m reading the Scripture passages that go with each chapter, the book makes more sense that way.)
The Sermon on the Mount can only be understood spiritually, that is, by those who have the Holy Spirit. We must know Jesus as Savior first before we can follow His teaching. “If Jesus is a teacher only, then all He can do is to tantalize us by erecting a standard we cannot come anywhere near. But if by being born again from above we know Him first as Savior, we know that He did not come to teach us only. He came to make us what He teaches we should be. The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His way with us.”
Because of sin, the Sermon on the Mount brings us to despair. This is exactly where Jesus wants us, because we can receive Him there. “The bedrock of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possession; not decisions for Jesus Christ, but a sense of absolute futility.”
Jesus taught the people that things they regarded as curses were actually blessings (poverty, mourning, etc.). The Beatitudes are full of dynamite, yet they often seem like merely beautiful words until the circumstances of life require us to face up to what Jesus actually said, “and instantly we have to decide whether we will accept the tremendous spiritual revolution that will be produced of we do obey this precept of His.”
Going on in the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches us to rejoice in persecution “for My sake”. Not because of our own crotchety notions, but because we are in love with Jesus Christ. “Whenever the Holy Spirit sees a chance to glorify Jesus Christ, He will take your whole personality and simply make it blaze and glow with personal passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus. You are no longer devoted to a cause, nor the devotee of a principle; you are the devoted love slave of the Lord Jesus.” As Christians, we are to be noticeable. Our commitment to Jesus Christ should be glaringly public.
Jesus teaches us that we are salt and light – very conspicuous, useful things. As the salt of the earth, we are to preserve, cleanse, and prevent decay. As the light of the world, we are to shine into the darkness. “Thank God for the men and women who are spending their lives in the slums of the earth, not as social reformers to lift their brothers and sisters to cleaner sties, but as the light of God, revealing a way back to God. God keeps them as the light, unsullied.”
Jesus made some definitive statements about the Law and the Prophets. He declared that He Himself was the fulfillment and meaning of the Old Testament. That is why the Jews called Him a blasphemer. However, Jesus did not nullify the Law and the Prophets, He completed them. Therefore we cannot wriggle out from any of the commands of the Lord. “It is surprising how easily we can juggle ourselves out of Jesus Christ’s principles by one or two pious sayings repeated sufficiently often.”
Jesus taught that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the most moral people we know. We need the Holy Spirit to interpret revolutionary statements like this. What Jesus refers to here is God’s imparting His nature to us. This is what makes us righteous to the core of our being. Both right doing and right being are necessary to be truly righteous.
To sum it all up, “The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount must produce despair in the natural man.” Where are we in regards to the teachings of Christ? To follow His teachings, we must come to Him.
Come back next week for my synopsis of chapter 2!
January 26th, 2010 - 9:07 am
I have just ordered this book so that I can join you here in the study thank you Vanessa-
Did I ask you about a story I am looking for about a woman who thinks she is doing her best at serving her family by over working herself on the farm while neglecting her God given responsibilties to the real tasks He has called her too. A beautiful woman visits I believe because her vehicle has broken down she leaves behind a white hanky and the woman’s heart has been changed and because of this her whole out look changes.
[Reply]
Vanessa Reply:
January 26th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
@Shepherdsfold, Oh, good! I’m glad someone else is reading this book! I’ll work on reading chapter 2 at work tonight, if things are calm enough. I haven’t heard the story you mentioned before – it must be from somewhere else. Have a good night!
[Reply]