The Sermon on the Mount is all about the holiness or set-apartness of the believer in Messiah.
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua reveals how the faithful believer will be distinct from those who are merely practicing outward religion. The true believer will be operating with the Torah of God, his instruction, flowing from a sincere and obedient heart. This would be the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy:
Ezekiel 37:24 – “My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my ordinances, and keep my statutes and obey them.
Consider the following broad categories of Yeshua’s message:
- (5:3-12) The beatitudes reflect the blessings and challenges of those who are sincerely motivated to serve and follow the Messiah
- (5:13-16) These believers are to be curative and enlightening to the world around them
- (5:17-20; 6:16-18) The Torah or instruction of God will be central to their lifestyle, but it will be practiced as God originally intended it to be: sincerely and from the heart, not for show
- These individuals will be reconcilers (5:21-26), faithful (5:27-32), and truthful (5:33-37)
- They will go above and beyond to serve those around them, even to the point of demonstrating love toward adversaries (5:38-48)
- (6:1-4) They will be generous for the sake of generosity, not for the recognition of others
- (6:5-15) Their private prayer life will reflect the recognition of God’s kingdom and be based on genuine forgiveness
- (6:19-21) They will not be bound to earthly possessions
- (6:22-24) They will remain focused on God’s purposes above earthly ambition
- (6:25-34) They will demonstrate trust in God for all their needs
- (7:1-5) They will not be hypocritical with anyone
- (7:6; 15-23) They will maintain reverence for the things of God, avoiding all falsehood
- (6:33; 7:7-8, 13-14) They will persistently seek that which is relevant to the kingdom
- (7:13-14) They will interact with others as they themselves would expect to be treated
- (7:24-27) They will steadfastly maintain their foundation in Messiah’s teaching
Anyone truly abiding in and following these teachings of Yeshua each and every day will be holy and set apart from all others, especially those who only seek the approval of others or desire to have a righteous appearance.
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