Matthew begins his sixth chapter with some teaching that is as straightforward as anything he ever writes.  There is very little needed to understand the thrust of this text, but there is quite a bit of depth if you consider the entire Sermon on the Mount from the beginning. Matthew 6 : 1 – 4 […]

There are strong and seemingly impossible words from Jesus, but we need to consider all of the dimensions of the teaching going all the way back to the beginning of Matthew 5.  And with a masterful stroke, Jesus’ teachings take on a multifaceted dimension. Matthew 5 : 38 – 48 “You have heard that it […]

These passages contain unpopular but straightforward teaching, along with some possible depth that we may be missing as later readers that are not familiar with the Law of Moses in the same way Jesus’ listeners were.  Jesus continues to highlight the differences between his disciples and the Pharisees. Matthew 5 : 31 – 37 “It […]

This week’s message continues the Sermon on the Mount, with Jesus going deeper into the particulars of the Law of Moses. And we find Jesus telling those who believe they are righteous that, in reality, they haven’t been taking the Law as seriously as they would hope. Matthew 5 : 21 – 30 “You have […]

This week’s message has Jesus telling us about the Law of Moses and his relation to it. It also contains the Law of Moses and our relation to it. These are some of the most shocking statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5 : 17 – 5 : 20 Do not think […]

Hopeland United Methodist Church Sunday Sermons Salt and light are the topics of discussion this morning as Pastor Russ continues to take us through the next session of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5 : 11 – 5 : 16 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds […]

Jesus is finally going to begin to teach his Sermon on the Mount. But how does he start teaching? To what does he direct our attention? Matthew 5 : 1 – 5 : 12 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and […]

This section is a segue between the first act of Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 1:1-4:11) and the second act, which is the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew is giving his readers details about what is coming up, now that Jesus has firmly established his credentials as the promised King. Matthew 4 : 12 – 4 : […]

Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is quite a famous event in his life, nestled between his baptism by John the Baptist and the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 4 : 1 – 4 : 11 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days […]

Jesus Christ has finally made an appearance in Matthew’s narrative as an adult, right after John the Baptist has called to account the Pharisees and Sadducees.  The first words that Matthew records Jesus saying to John the Baptist are going to be an indicator of what Matthew’s themes for the gospel are going to be […]