The Sermon on the Mount

In “The Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus speaks on several old laws, and it quickly becomes apparent that, in his opinion, they do not go far enough. He also states that he is not intending to destroy the laws, but to “fulfill” them (Jesus 36), perhaps even to re-define and re-codify the laws.

For example, the law “Thou shalt not kill,” (36) states that those who kill “shall be in danger of the judgment” (37). Jesus’s response to this is that not only those who kill are in danger of judgment, but those who curse their brother are also in danger of judgment.

In regards to the law “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (37), it is not just actual physical adultery that is a violation, but looking at a woman “with lust” (37) is also committing adultery. For what is most likely the first time in history, it is no longer just a person’s actions that are to be judged, but their thoughts.

Jesus repudiates the practice of putting away one’s wife – divorce – completely. The law was “Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.” Jesus’s response to this was that, except for fornication, one could never divorce one’s wife. He stated by putting away a wife, he “causeth her to commit adultery” and that someone who married a divorced woman also committed adultery (37).

He speaks on other laws and responds to them in much the same way, finding each law – whether it be loving one’s neighbor and hating one’s enemy or taking an “eye for an eye” and other laws – to be lacking. He advises not just that the laws are not strong enough, but also how one should respond when one has been wronged – such as turning and offering your other cheek when someone “smites” you on your cheek (37).

In the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus offers a new interpretation of the old laws that not only makes the laws stronger but also touches on how one should put these laws into action in one’s own life. He also treats these laws as not only having impact and repercussions here on earth, but also having impact and repercussions on one’s afterlife, in particular, whether or not one can make it into the kingdom of Heaven.

Works Cited

Jesus. “The Sermon on the Mount (The Gospel of Matthew)”. Humanities I Study Guide. Ed. Nancy McCollum. Thomson Custom Publishing. 2002. 36-40.

Written for Professor Hartman's Survey of Humanities I class at Pikes Peak Community College, 10th November 2003.