The Sermon on the Mount A Theological Investigation, Revised Edition

With the possible exception of John 3.16, no Biblical text is more widely known or widely quoted than the Sermon on the Mount. Who has not heard the words, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” or “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God”? And who has not repeated the phrase, “You are the salt of the earth,” or bridled under the admonition to turn the other cheek and to love your enemies? A strong defense could be made for the thesis that phrases like these reflect the essence of the Christian faith and that the Sermon on the Mount is the locus classicus of the teachings of Jesus. The Lord’s Prayer is to be found there; the distinction between treasures on earth and treasures in heaven and the claim that we cannot serve both God and mammon is formulated in this context; and the prohibition against anxiety and against the self-righteous condemnation of others is expressed within this framework. As the Sermon moves toward its conclusion, we are also confronted by a narrow gate and a narrow pathway that Jesus says that few can either enter or travel; and we are faced with two ways of living, one of which founds human life upon a rock, while the other is content to build upon the sand. It is this familiar choice that the Sermon poses for its listeners, and it is the need to make a choice of this kind that has caused the multitudes who have listened to the message of Jesus “to be amazed at his teaching.”