ChristopherPaul
Puritan Board Senior
Jesus\' Sermon on the Mount - Who was He Speaking to?
At His sermon on the mount, specifically in Matthew 6, Jesus expounded upon the law, issued blessings to those who were meek and humble and those who are persecuted for their faith, He blessed those who prayed unlike the hypocrites, who fasted in secret, who stored treasures in heaven, etc, etc, etc.
Ultimately can or should we conclude that he was speaking to His Church?
If a kind and humble atheist gave to the poor in secret, will God the Father reward him?
Will God reward the devout Jew (who does not believe Jesus is the Christ) who prays in secret as Jesus instructed?
Will God reward a humble Muslim who fasts in this way?
Moving on, what about worrying?
God's elect should certainly not need to worry because they seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, but what about the sons of disobedience?
Now for the big question: Do any of these promises, blessings, and rewards, apply to our children?
[Edited on 11-9-2005 by ChristopherPaul]
At His sermon on the mount, specifically in Matthew 6, Jesus expounded upon the law, issued blessings to those who were meek and humble and those who are persecuted for their faith, He blessed those who prayed unlike the hypocrites, who fasted in secret, who stored treasures in heaven, etc, etc, etc.
Ultimately can or should we conclude that he was speaking to His Church?
6:3-4 "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
If a kind and humble atheist gave to the poor in secret, will God the Father reward him?
6:5 - "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."
Will God reward the devout Jew (who does not believe Jesus is the Christ) who prays in secret as Jesus instructed?
6:16-18 - "Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Will God reward a humble Muslim who fasts in this way?
Moving on, what about worrying?
6:25-34 - "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? "And why are you worried about clothing ? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
God's elect should certainly not need to worry because they seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, but what about the sons of disobedience?
Now for the big question: Do any of these promises, blessings, and rewards, apply to our children?
[Edited on 11-9-2005 by ChristopherPaul]