Jesus’ First Message: Restoring the Father’s Name
When Jesus began His ministry, He preached a message that would change the course of human history. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is a foundational teaching that reveals the heart of God and the nature of true discipleship.
In this sermon, Jesus addresses the manipulation of truth, which has been the single biggest obstacle between God and man, and man and man. For centuries, religious leaders and teachers had distorted God’s message, controlling what people believed and how they acted.
Jesus confronts this issue head-on, quoting the teachers of the day and saying, “You have heard it said…” (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). He is not quoting Scripture but rather the distorted teachings of the time. God’s law is perfect, but imperfect motivations had distorted its meaning.
Restoring Trust
Jesus’ teaching is not new; it’s a restoration of what was distorted. He emphasizes trust and faith in a loving Father, rather than manipulation through words or actions. In Matthew 6:5-15, He teaches that prayer is not about using the right words but about trusting God’s character.
When we take the words and needs out of our prayers, what’s left? God knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8). We often remind God of His to-do list, taking on the burden of controlling outcomes. Instead, we should trust His plan and way.
The Motive of Our Hearts
Jesus isn’t questioning the method of prayer but rather the motive of our hearts. Why do we seek or serve Him? Is He serving us, or are we truly following Him?
The Power of Prayer
We often end our prayers with “in the name of Jesus,” but do we understand the context and meaning of John 16:23? We need to understand the Old Testament definition of prayer, as seen in Exodus 34:5-6. We should start our prayers with a declaration of God’s character, trusting in His compassion and lovingkindness.
Money and Idolatry
The Bible speaks more about money than any other topic. The Israelites struggled to trust God to provide in the Promised Land, and we face similar struggles today. We don’t think of ourselves as idol worshipers, yet we struggle to serve God alone in every part of our lives.
The BE-attitudes are also the PRACTICAL-attitudes, giving us the “how” to follow Him. Will we choose to trust and serve God alone, or will we continue to manipulate truth and control outcomes? The choice is ours.
