Lesson
8 Matthew 5
The
scriptures include many invitations from the Savior. For instance, read the
Savior’s invitations in Matthew 11:28-29. Today’s lesson focuses on the Sermon on the Mount, which contains
many invitations from the Savior—which should encourage us to come unto Christ
by applying the principles he taught in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus taught the Beatitudes to his disciples.
Many
centuries after the premortal Christ gave the law of Moses on Mount Sinai, the
mortal Messiah ascended another mount to proclaim a higher law in a discourse
known as the Sermon on the Mount. The first teachings in this sermon are known
as the Beatitudes, found in Matthew 5:1-12. The word beatitude comes
from the Latin beatus, which means fortunate, happy, or blessed. Let’s
review these teachings:
Matt.
5:3 To be
“poor in spirit” means “to be humble”.
It is important that we be humble so that we may be taught by the
Spirit. Through activities such as prayer, scripture study, and service to
others, we can strive to develop greater humility.
Matt.
5:4
reminds us that the Lord provides for us to be comforted. John 14:26-27 and Mosiah 18:8-9
provide examples of comfort.
Matt.
5:5 Meekness
means that we are to be gentle, forgiving, or benevolent as shown in Mosiah
3:19; Alma 7:23; and Alma 13:28.
Matt.
5:6 Jesus
promised those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” that they will be
filled. Of course, it is up to us to lift our appetites from the things of the
world to things of righteousness. 3 Nephi 12:6 clarifies the
promise—that we will be filled “with the Holy Ghost”.
Matt.
5:7 Just
as we need mercy from the Lord, we need to extend mercy to others by being
understanding of human failures, being forgiving even at times when others may
not seem to be worthy of forgiveness or mercy. Alma 42:13-15 reminds us
that all mankind are fallen.
Matt.
5:8
reminds us that we need to have a pure heart and in Helaman 3:35, we are
given instruction on how to purify our hearts—by yielding our hearts to
God. Remember too that we must have
pure hearts if we are to see God and dwell with him—See Moses 6:57.
Matt.
5:9 If we
wish to be the children of God, we must be peacemakers in our homes and
communities.
Matt.
5:10 In
this world, righteous people sometimes persecuted. How we should respond to
persecution is taught in both Matt. 5:44 and Luke 6:35.
Jesus declared that his disciples are “the salt of
the earth” and “the light of the world.”
Matt.
5:13 Jesus
said that his disciples are “the salt of the earth”. In modern day scripture in
D&C 101:39, he repeated that concept. Salt is useful as a
seasoning—bringing out the best and making things flavorful—and as a
preservative—prolonging or enhancing usefulness. D&C 103:9-10 adds
insight about what it means to be “the salt of the earth” and how we can be
“the saviors of men” by providing needed services such as sharing the gospel
and doing temple work.
Matt.
5:14 and 16
remind us that Latter-day Saints can be “the light of the world”. When a candle is placed “under a bushel”,
its light is hidden and its utility is diminished significantly.
As Church members we sometimes put our light under a
bushel when we could let our light shine in a way that would lead others to “glorify
[our] Father … in heaven”. We have been
taught that Jesus is the light that we should hold up in 3 Nephi 18:24.
Jesus taught a higher law than the law of Moses.
Matt.
5:17-18
Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law of Moses, not to destroy it. The law
of Moses had been “given to
the children of Israel, … for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do
iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God.” It was “a law of performances and of ordinances, …
which [the Israelites] were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them
in remembrance of God and their duty towards him” (Mosiah
13:29-30). Those
who understood the law “[looked] forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until
the law [was] fulfilled. For, for this end was the law given” (2 Nephi
25:24-25).
Alma
34:13-16 The
Savior fulfilled the law of Moses when he atoned for our sins. After the
Atonement, the people were no longer commanded to make animal sacrifices, which
had been required as part of the law of Moses to point to the atoning sacrifice
of Jesus Christ. Instead, the people were commanded to “offer for a sacrifice …
a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:20).
Matt.
5:20 Jesus
said that his disciples’ righteousness should “exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees”. While they focused only on outward appearances of the
law, the importance of inner faithfulness was lacking from the “righteousness”
of the scribes and Pharisees. If they had observed the law as it was given,
they would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah.
“Ye
have heard that it was said…” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used these words when he
referred to commandments that were part of the law of Moses.
“But
I say unto you..” Jesus used these words when he taught his disciples his higher law.
Contrast these teachings of
the Law of Moses and Christ’s teachings:
|
“Ye have heard that it
was said…” (Law of Moses) |
“But I say unto you…” (Christ’s higher law) |
|
Thou shalt not kill (See Matt 5:21) |
Do
not get angry (see Matt. 5:22) §
feelings of anger affect our relationship with God §
eliminate such feelings from our lives |
|
Bring
a “gift to the altar” / Offer sacrifice (5:23) |
Reconcile
with thy brother first (5:23) |
|
Thou
shalt not commit adultery (5:27) |
Avoid
lustful thoughts (5:28) §
also see Mosiah 4:30 §
and Alma 12:14 |
|
Perform
oaths to the Lord (5:33) |
Keep
your word (5:34-37) Elder Bruce R.
McConkie said: “Under the Mosaic law the taking of oaths was so common and
covered such a variety of circumstances that, in practice, little verity
attended statements that were not made with an oath. … Under the perfect law
of Christ every man’s word is his bond, and all spoken statements are as true
as though an oath attended each spoken word” (The Mortal Messiah, 4
vols. [1979-81], 2:140). |
Commenting
on Matt. 5:48, President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “I believe the Lord meant just what he said:
that we should be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. That will not
come all at once, but line upon line, and precept upon precept, example upon
example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will
have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be
like God. But here we lay the foundation. Here is where we are taught these
simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in this probationary state, to
prepare us for that perfection. It is our duty to be better today than we were
yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. … If we are keeping the
commandments of the Lord, we are on that road to perfection” (Doctrines
of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954-56], 2:18-19)
As
you can see from our review of some of the teachings in the Sermon on the
Mount, they help us “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him”.
Conclusion
The
teachings in the Sermon on the Mount help us “come unto Christ, and be
perfected in him”, so our challenge is to apply those teachings effectively in
our lives. Consider carefully the invitations you have seen in the Sermon on
the Mount listed and choose one or two to focus on during the coming week.
These lessons are posted on the Internet at http:www.neumanninstitute.org