I also have spent a life time struggling with the Sermon on the Mount. Recently, I taught the lesson at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church. The preparation for the lesson was an eye opening experience for me. Ernie Bursey's article prompted me to share it with Spectrum on-line. as below.

The Sermon on the Mount:
The Transcript of Christ’s Character

Early in the Common Era, Jesus left his carpenter bench, walked East to the river Jordan where John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing repentant sinners. Jesus asked to be baptized. John, recognizing his cousin, remonstrated saying: “It is I that should be baptized by you!” Jesus replied, “Permit it be so.” John complied. ( From the Gospel of Matthew)

What a marvelous act of mercy. Jesus not only lived and died for me but he was baptized for me. As Jesus came up out of the water, a voice from heaven introduced Jesus saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended and landed on Jesus’ head. What an inauguration! But the installation ritual had only begun. (From the Gospel of Matthew.)

Jesus is led away, by the Spirit, into the wilderness for 40 days, recapitulating Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus withstood the temptations and blandishments of Satan. With the approval of heaven and the victory in the wilderness, Jesus was ready for His Gospel Ministry.

A precis of His ministry would be: recruitment of the twelve, followed by His mission statement, His acts of mercy, His words of grace and guidance, His patience and clarity during cunning debate, His steadfastness under physical and mental torture, His endurance of a cruel death, His startling resurrection, His reassuring presence, His triumphal return to Heaven.

Continuing the story, Jesus returned to the river and began recruiting His disciples. He attended a wedding feast at Cana, where his mother preempts His mission by requesting He provide a fresh supply of wine for the feast. Thus, Christ’s first miracle was to turn water into wine (A refreshing example of Christ’s endorsement of the celebration of marriage). He returns home to Nazareth, and reads from Isaiah 61 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” thus announcing His Messiahship and mission.

Matthew picks up the story in Matt. 5. Jesus addresses the multitude on the side of a mountain. Many see this sermon as Jesus’ inaugural address. It was indeed a classic and definitive re-interpretation of the Law that He had written on tables of stone which He personally gave to Moses. We know that presentation in the Gospel of Matthew as The Sermon on the Mount.

To fully understand the Sermon on the Mount it must be given at least four readings. If one reads it “cold” it becomes a nightmare of legalistic terror. He that hateth his brother is a murderer; (from Matt. 5:22) He that lusteth in his heart is an adulterer; (from Matt. 5: 28) “be ye therefore, perfect, even as your father which art in heaven is perfect”. Matt. 5: 48 Ghastly unvarnished perfectionism!

However, if one reads the Sermon on the Mount initially as the action plan of Christ’s ministry, the full range and impact of the sermon becomes clear. Christ opens His sermon with the beatitudes which describe the fundamental characteristics and joys of the perfect “man. Having described Himself, He quickly gives eternal assurance: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” (Matt. 5: 17)
He goes on to elaborate by saying “one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matt. 5: 18)

What a promise! Knowing that He came away from His encounter with Satan as victor, we have not only a sense of assurance but an overwhelming sense of awe and thanksgiving as we read in the Gospel of John His final words on the cross: “It is finished” or it has been accomplished. What Christ came to do He did before the entire universe: He fulfilled the Law, He revealed the truth about God, the Father, He redeemed a lost world, and He totally demolished Satan’s claims against both the Godhead and man.

Rejoice, Jesus Christ has fulfilled every jot and tittle of His Action Plan. The “Law” as he explained it, in His inaugural sermon, is the very transcript of His character—His life style.

What couldn’t be done by fallen man has been done by that one “new man: Christ Jesus”. God once again has an uncontested federal man, a New Adam. All heaven rejoices. Paul retells the story so reassuringly in Romans 5: 19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

The finished work of our Lord and Savior not only fills us with a sense of awe and thanksgiving and introduces us to the ethics and ethos of the Kingdom of Heaven. “He that hath seen me has seen the Father.”

Beyond that sermon, Jesus reinforced the ethics and ethos of the Kingdom of God with parables and analogies recorded throughout the four Gospels. Certainly we recall His introduction to His “stories” “The Kingdom of Heaven is like”---

Yes, the Kingdom of Heaven is exactly like Jesus. Having read the words of those who saw, heard, and watched Him, we also know the Father and the Holy Spirit for they are One, with Christ, the Triune God!

It is by such beholding, that we become changed. We are now free to read His words for a third time. Not only did He fulfill every “jot and tittle” but He gave us the blueprint for the life style of the forgiven. His invitation: “Follow thou Me!” is an invitation to discipleship—an apprenticeship to live and work in the ethos and ethics of Heaven.

Men and women through the ages have attempted to replicate the Christ event to no avail. The believers’ task is not to reenact the Christ event but to tell it as unimpeachable sources. Our life style is not to gain heaven but to gain converts to Jesus Christ.

Following Jesus means to “do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.” (From Micah 6:8) To do justly, one’s transactions will be fair and generous. To love mercy is to give mercy not demand it. To walk humbly with God is to remain teachable, using what is learned not only in self improvement but in gracious and generous leadership. “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more!” The words of Jesus becomes the mantra of the forgiven.

As we read His words for the fourth time, they become collectively, the mission statement of the church, for he said those words to over 5,000 men plus women and children—the Church. Christ not only invites, He commands: “Go ye therefore and teach!” As a Carpenter, as a Redeemer, as our Lord and Master He calls us to apostleship. We also are to build: communities of faith, not only in the “corner where we are”, but collectively as a world wide movement. The church is not only a haven of rest and communion but the headquarters for evangelism. Christ offers us an “open door” to come in for healing and then to go out to serve.

The Gospel Commission is to tell the story of Jesus. How He lived, why He died, and the personal and eternal consequences of the Christ event.

There is no better place to begin than with the simple songs as well as the great hymns of the Church. “I Love to Tell the Story”: “How Can I Keep from Singing”; “Amazing Grace”. Just think of how the Gospel opened the pen of Charles Wesley. The music of the church makes a David of us all.

“We would see Jesus.” Let us show Him to the World!
What better place to start than with the Beatitudes? A facet of Christ’s character shines forth from each of the Beatitudes. From the glow of His life, we become, “A light unto the world.” Matt. 5: 14 Tom

Tom's view from the pew, IMO, complements Ernest Bursey's perspective on Matthew's vision. Thank you!

I'm just wondering if there's someone else besides me who sees a connection - perhaps a contradiction - between Tom/EB's reading of Matthew's account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and traditional Adventist mass evangelism. It's frustrating to say the least, reading the conversation in the other thread regarding cLAim, how the latter has been defended. While Tom and all others on ground zero (Frank, Johnny, Ryan, Aage, Elaine, Gaylene, etc.) seem to find their voices on this site, are they being heard? On the one hand is Matthew's version of Jesus' words: "Let your light so shine!" On the other hand, the official party line being promoted and passed on to us is: "Make your light shine!"

Chuck,

thank you for drawing my attention to this article by Ernie Bursey. I gave it a read late last night, and will read it again to gain the further insight that a second look allows.

Ernie returned to WWC in 82 just as I was finishing up in the biology program. I had taken enough religion coursework for a minor, but sadly missed the returning Yalie.

I hope to comment later after further review, but would like to note a couple of first impressions.

I appreciated and was struck by his pointing out the "is" in regards to salvation of the believer. This neatly ties into the theological understanding I get when I read Paul and John. This alone should once and for all help relegate the traditional IJ doctrine(that denier of salvational assurance) onto the waste heap of theological missteps.

I was saddened by the sense of obligation or need to include Ellen White quotes. I suppose that was the author's perogative, but in my opinion detracted from an exceptional piece of scholarly work. By using her, even though the her words were supportive, makes one remember all her other statements that had the opposite sentiment.

Thanks again, I will have to put away my saw for another day.

Randy Gerber

Joselito/Randy/Chuck

From the Human perpective as well as the Universe's intererst isn't the Centrality of the Cross the dominate theme of the Christ Event? At least it was to Paul. Therefore, in Re-Inventing Adventism--the Inaugural Eschaton--"It is Finished" pronounced at the Cross should have more emphasis within Adventism. Certainly, the consumate Eschaton of the Parusia is the focus of those of us who feel our mortality more each day.

Yet the the "Beginning of the End" was the Good News even to Paul as he anticipated Nero's ax.

It seems to me that the Cross is muted
within Adventism, as a given rather than Amazing! One finds one's Savior at Calvary or he/she doesn't find Him at all.

The Book of Revelation simply tells us that the One we found at Calvary is now Lord of Lords and King of Kings! So we need not be afraid of things that go bump in the night.

Rather than "Will Russia Rule the World?" Adventism should be proclaiming Christ is Lord. Not just of the Sabbath but Lord of All!!!! Tom

I sometiems wonder about the future. On the optimistic side, I see our church showing signs of being progressive, accepting and responsive. In more pessimistic moments I reflect that the bureaucracy is regressive, controlling and unresponsive.
I am reminded of words from the wise:
"The more things change, the more they stay the same!"
"The longest way around is the shortest way home!" and
"Administrations always clone themselves!"
So... are things changing? Probably.
In our lifetime? Hopefully!
How likely? now that is the real question: Likely enough to encourage us to stick together, keep talking up change, and focus on our strengths.
and thankfully, a clearer collective realisation of who Jesus is on one of our "new" strengths.