What Jesus Really Said
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) is one of the most quoted parts of the Bible—and also one of the most misunderstood. It’s easy to cherry-pick the bits we like: comforting verses, familiar promises, teachings we can fit neatly into our lives. But the Sermon is not a set of isolated sayings. It’s a cohesive, radical vision of life under God’s reign.
Jesus wasn’t giving moral advice or comfortable platitudes. He was announcing a kingdom, inviting us to live by values entirely opposite to what the world celebrates—values like humility, peace, forgiveness, enemy-love, and generosity without expectation of return.
But too often, these teachings have been softened, twisted, or ignored altogether, even by people who proudly carry the name of Jesus.
A Kingdom, Not a Country
Recently, there’s been a rise in what’s called “Christian nationalism,” especially in America. At first glance, it seems harmless enough: loving God and country. But look closer, and you see a deep contradiction.
Christian nationalism tends to merge faith with political power, promoting dominance and division, cloaked in religious language. The Sermon on the Mount is frequently cited but selectively edited. The passages about humility, loving enemies, and turning the other cheek mysteriously disappear, replaced by calls to reclaim influence, assert strength, and exclude outsiders.
Jesus said clearly, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:9, 44, NJB). But nationalism often rewrites these verses into messages about winning, power, and cultural control.
As pastor and theologian Brian Zahnd has noted, this isn’t just misguided—it’s deeply harmful. It replaces Jesus’ vision of radical, self-sacrificing love with a pursuit of dominance and control that the Sermon itself explicitly rejects.
Prosperity and the Problem of Selective Reading
If nationalism selectively edits Jesus’ words, the prosperity gospel selectively ignores them. Prosperity theology is popular because it promises health, wealth, and success to anyone with enough faith. Yet, reading the Sermon on the Mount honestly makes that promise impossible to uphold.
When Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matthew 6:19, NJB), prosperity preachers tend to gloss over it. Similarly, verses like “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3, NJB) or “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24, NJB) don’t fit neatly into a theology that equates faithfulness with financial gain.
The danger of prosperity theology isn’t just bad doctrine—it’s that it misrepresents the very heart of Jesus’ message. Instead of the radical generosity, simplicity, and trust that Jesus calls us to, prosperity teaching encourages us to pursue exactly what He warned against.
The Sermon as Transformation, Not Information
The Sermon on the Mount wasn’t meant to inform us; it was meant to transform us. It wasn’t given to make us comfortable; it was given to make us new. The teachings of Jesus aren’t moral improvements; they’re invitations into a radically different way of being human.
To reclaim the Sermon means rediscovering teachings like:
- “Blessed are the meek” (Matthew 5:5, NJB)—not the powerful or influential.
- “Blessed are the merciful” (Matthew 5:7, NJB)—those who show compassion and forgiveness.
- “Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8, NJB)—those who seek integrity and authenticity rather than applause.
These are countercultural values. They challenge our pride, question our priorities, and disrupt our comfortable ideas of what success looks like. And yet, Jesus insists, this is where true life begins.
As pastor and writer Benjamin Cremer has said, “Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount will never make sense to people who are addicted to power, control, and self-preservation.” The radical love Jesus preached doesn’t serve empire or ego—it disarms them. His words won’t fit comfortably in the mouths of those trying to dominate others. They were always meant to form a people who live differently, love deeply, and embody the Kingdom here and now.
Living the Radical Call of Jesus
I confess: the Sermon on the Mount challenges me daily. It’s far easier to believe it than to live it. But maybe that’s the point.
Jesus wasn’t looking for people who had it all together. He was calling disciples willing to follow Him into uncomfortable places, challenging cultural assumptions, and transforming their communities through love.
The real misunderstanding about Christ’s teachings is that they’re optional, symbolic, or only for special saints. They’re meant for all of us. Ordinary people living ordinary lives, called to extraordinary love.
A Creed on My Wall, a Sermon in My Heart
In my office, behind my desk, I have a framed copy of the Apostles’ Creed. I’ve shared before how that creed anchors me in historic Christian belief. But if I were to choose another text to frame, it would be the Sermon on the Mount, starting with the Beatitudes.
I need those words visible daily—not just for doctrinal clarity, but for practical discipleship. When I’m tempted toward self-interest, pride, or complacency, the Sermon calls me back. Back to humility, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and love for the people I’d rather avoid.
Because ultimately, doctrine matters not only because it shapes our belief but because it shapes our lives. And few passages of Scripture are clearer about what that life should look like than the Sermon on the Mount.
A Faith Worth Following
What if we stopped editing Jesus and started following Him?
What if the Church really took seriously what He said about loving our enemies, blessing the meek, giving generously, and trusting God with every part of our lives?
The Sermon on the Mount isn’t outdated. It’s as revolutionary today as when Jesus first spoke it. It’s not comfortable. It’s transformational.
In an age when the loudest voices often speak in anger, division, or greed, let’s reclaim the radical, gentle, courageous voice of Jesus. Let’s rediscover the Sermon on the Mount—not just as words we admire, but as words we truly live.
Let’s return again to Christ’s teaching, and let’s become a people known not by our power or prosperity, but by our extraordinary, Christlike love.
✍️ Writer’s Note
This article reflects my personal journey—shaped by Scripture, ministry experience, and a deep longing to rediscover Jesus’ actual teachings. The Sermon on the Mount isn’t moral poetry—it’s a radical invitation to live like Christ in a world that often misunderstands Him.
To begin at the start of this series, read Returning to the Table: A Call to Authentic Christianity.
đź“š Reference
Cremer, Benjamin.
“Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount will never make sense to people who are addicted to power, control, and self-preservation.”
Posted via X (Twitter), 2022
Zahnd, Brian.
“The Dangerous Heresy of Christian Nationalism.”
Published January 11, 2021, on BrianZahnd.com.
https://brianzahnd.com/2021/01/the-dangerous-heresy-of-christian-nationalism/
🔍 Further Reading & Supporting Perspectives
On the Sermon on the Mount in context:
“What Is the Sermon on the Mount?” – The Bible Project
https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-is-the-sermon-on-the-mount/
On Christian nationalism and theological distortion:
“The Dangerous Heresy of Christian Nationalism” – Brian Zahnd
https://brianzahnd.com/2021/01/the-dangerous-heresy-of-christian-nationalism/
On prosperity theology and its misuse of Scripture:
“Prosperity Theology” – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology
On the radical ethics of the Sermon on the Mount:
“Go Slow and Repair Things” – Christianity Today
Published November 2024
https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/11/go-slow-and-repair-things-evangelicals-diverse-democracy/
On the timeless relevance of the Beatitudes:
“The Sermon on the Mount” – Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sermon-on-the-Mount
đź“š Further Resources from FHLM
If the Sermon on the Mount has stirred something in you—whether conviction, longing, or questions—explore our free resources to go deeper:
- Short Bible studies on Jesus’ teaching and life
- Devotionals for rooted, real-world faith
- Prayer guides and reflections on living kingdom values today
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