The Sermon on the Mount: “Radical” Realism

The title “The Sermon on the Mount” has a nice ring to it. We think of Jesus, sitting on a grassy slope teaching devoted followers wonderful truths of love and blessing.

However, the Sermon on the Mount is not lovely idealism; it is startling realism. We would rather be starry-eyed idealists than have God’s realism. The first is wonderful because it is in our heads only; the second is just too much.

Here are some of the reasons God’s realism is “too much,” from Matthew 5:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (v. 11).

“It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” (v. 13b).

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 20).

“But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell...” (v. 22b).

“I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny” (v. 26).

“It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell” (v. 30b).

“But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery” (v. 32).

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (v. 37).

“If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (v. 39b).

“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (v. 42).

“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” (v. 44).

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48).

See what I mean?

Matthew 6 talks about several kinds of hypocrites, prayer, fasting, and anxiety. Chapter 7 teaches about judging, asking, discerning, narrow and wide gates, and foolish builders.

We know that this is radical teaching by the response of the hearers whenever it is taught with an expectation of it being obeyed. The response is almost always, “Where do you draw the line?” or “You don’t expect us to obey this as is, do you?”

Do you know anyone who rejoices and is glad because he has been slandered? Or do you know anyone who settles out of court for twice as much as he was sued for when he knows the suer is evil, and he himself is innocent? Yet this is the obedience that God commands here.

There is no question that evil has made major inroads into the church of Jesus Christ. We are very conscious of the victories the Enemy has made in the lives of many of our Christian friends. The battle is heavy. We have seen surrenders to the Enemy. We do not want to see any more. “And after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm, then…”

We think that these surrenders take place because of two basic errors. The first is not recognizing our place of victory in the cross of Christ. The second is accepting a modified cure for our rebellion instead of the true cure—the forgiveness paid for in the cross.


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