Sermon on the Mount, pt. 4

Well, here we are at the last part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7. This chapter of Matthew, constituting the last major section of the sermon, includes a series of five fundamental principles of counsel and warning. (After #3. there is two more #1s. The system absolutely won't let me make them #4 and #5! It shows that way in my create-a-swap window, but not here in the swap! Weird, huh?)

1. Matthew 7:1-5 What does Christ tell us will happen if we are judgmental of others?

2. Matthew 7:6 What is meant by this scripture? Look at JST Matt 7:9-11 for more clarification.

3. Matthew 7:7-12 What is the Lord trying to teach us in these verses? See the Bible Dictionary under Faith; God, access to; Prayer; and Problem Solving for more information

Look at these scriptures also, and tell what the teaching is in them.

JST Matt 7:12-17

Isaiah 58:9

Helaman 10:4-11

D&C 6:5

1. Matthew 7:13,14 Though this passage of warning is very short, it is of great importance. The significance lies in the word strait. It is not the word straight, which means erect, direct, upright, not bent or bowed, not crooked; rather, it means strait—narrow, tight, confined, strict, rigid, exacting, and difficult. The gate the Lord describes as leading unto life is an exacting one. Apparently, in these verses, the Lord wanted to make it clear that his gospel is not a haphazard affair but entails precise and exacting requirements. What do these scriptures mean to you in your daily life? How can we follow them?

Also read 2 Nephi 31:17-21 How does this help us to better understand the scroiptures above?

1. Matthew 7:15-20 The Lord gives us a warning and a way to distinguish between good and evil. What are they?

With the body of the sermon now complete, the Lord concluded with a warning to his disciples included in two powerful statements. The first warning harks back to the theme of the sermon based on the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. That there might be no misunderstanding regarding his messiahship, the Lord firmly established himself as the judge of mankind, inviting all men to do his will, so they might have eternal life.

Matthew 7:21-23 Why is it okay for Christ to sit in judgment this way?

The second warning was in the impressive parable of the wise man and the foolish man. The one heard the Lord’s teachings, lived them, and was like a wise man who built his house on a rock; and when the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon the house, it fell not. The other one who heard his teachings failed to do them and was like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and when the rain descended, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat upon the house, it fell; and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7: 24-27 How does this story apply to us today?

Matthew 7:28-29 Why were the people astounded when Jesus ended these teachings?

Now that we've studied the whole body of the Sermon on the Mount, what scriptures stand out in your mind the most? Which teaching do you need to work on a little harder and why?

I really hope you have enjoyed learning about the Sermon on the Mount in closer detail, and hope to see you for the next scripture study series! Happy Swapping!