Why do so many preachers make Jesus’ “sermon on the mount” so difficult when it is so basic and simple. There are no hidden meanings among Christ’s statements of contrast between two aspects of things which characterised the culture and generation in which He spoke, and which continue to characterise our own, if we choose to pay attention.
The very first statement tends to elicit a lengthy, counter-textual explanation of what has no bearing on what Christ said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
All manner of linguistic contortions are used to explain what it means to be “poor in spirit”; in fact, some modern Bible renditions, and many modern teachers, rephrase this to read “happy are those who are spiritually poor …” Some take further licens...
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