Climbing the Mountain

We finally come to a close on our journey through the Sermon on the Mount with some final questions of reflection for Matt, Tim, Jim and Van.

In Matthew 5:11-16, Jesus expounds upon our outward ministry as partners with God, our role in the world. Where the beatitudes described the blessings of those who see their need for God and choose to identify with Him through repentance, Jesus now makes the general specific: blessed are “you.” We may face persecution on account of our identification with God; but, we serve a vital role in the world. Jesus describes this role through two examples: salt and light. Here, we discuss the richness of His examples in their historical context to shed light on their meaning for us today.

In Matthew 5:11-16, Jesus expounds upon our outward ministry as partners with God, our role in the world. Where the beatitudes described the blessings of those who see their need for God and choose to identify with Him through repentance, Jesus now makes the general specific: blessed are “you.” We may face persecution on account of our identification with God; but, we serve a vital role in the world. Jesus describes this role through two examples: salt and light. Here, we discuss the richness of His examples in their historical context to shed light on their meaning for us today.

This is the intro episode for season 1 of Climbing the Mountain podcast. Our goal with this episode is to explain why we embarked on this deep dive into Jesus's sermon on the mount and how this podcast might differ from others you've heard. We are excited for you to join us on this journey as we learn from one another, wrestle with the scripture, and strive to find practical ways to live out Jesus's teachings.

In Matthew 5:11-16, Jesus expounds upon our outward ministry as partners with God, our role in the world. Where the beatitudes described the blessings of those who see their need for God and choose to identify with Him through repentance, Jesus now makes the general specific: blessed are “you.” We may face persecution on account of our identification with God; but, we serve a vital role in the world. Jesus describes this role through two examples: salt and light. Here, we discuss the richness of His examples in their historical context to shed light on their meaning for us today.

In chapter 4 we see Jesus beginning to preach His message of repentance and good news concerning the Kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is this teaching in all of its glory and the Beatitudes set the frame by which everything else is recognized. With the Beatitudes we see the heart of Jesus’ teaching. They are both the realization of and the fulfillment of the 10 commandments, which began God’s word from Sinai.These compact 8 verses illuminate what God considers good for us: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and experiencing persecution for righteousness. These are not what most would consider “blessings.” So, first off, the Beatitudes reorder our conception of what God values versus what the kingdoms of this world value. In our trust in these seemingly inscrutable sayings, and more importantly faith in the sayer, we experience healing for our souls: both a filling and repairing effect.At this mountain top, we see Jesus both as a teacher with His close disciples and as a new Moses giving us God’s word. Not only does Jesus summarize the upward and outward thrust of the 10 commandments, but He expounds upon the spirit by which God’s word is fulfilled through us: utter dependence upon Him and unabashed joy in His love overflowing to others through us. His words continue to resonate, eternally profound. At this mountain, we all strain to hear what the ultimate teacher taught His disciples.

In chapter 4 we see Jesus beginning to preach His message of repentance and good news concerning the Kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is this teaching in all of its glory and the Beatitudes set the frame by which everything else is recognized. With the Beatitudes we see the heart of Jesus’ teaching. They are both the realization of and the fulfillment of the 10 commandments, which began God’s word from Sinai.These compact 8 verses illuminate what God considers good for us: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and experiencing persecution for righteousness. These are not what most would consider “blessings.” So, first off, the Beatitudes reorder our conception of what God values versus what the kingdoms of this world value. In our trust in these seemingly inscrutable sayings, and more importantly faith in the sayer, we experience healing for our souls: both a filling and repairing effect.At this mountain top, we see Jesus both as a teacher with His close disciples and as a new Moses giving us God’s word. Not only does Jesus summarize the upward and outward thrust of the 10 commandments, but He expounds upon the spirit by which God’s word is fulfilled through us: utter dependence upon Him and unabashed joy in His love overflowing to others through us. His words continue to resonate, eternally profound. At this mountain, we all strain to hear what the ultimate teacher taught His disciples.

In chapter 4 we see Jesus beginning to preach His message of repentance and good news concerning the Kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is this teaching in all of its glory and the Beatitudes set the frame by which everything else is recognized. With the Beatitudes we see the heart of Jesus’ teaching. They are both the realization of and the fulfillment of the 10 commandments, which began God’s word from Sinai.These compact 8 verses illuminate what God considers good for us: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and experiencing persecution for righteousness. These are not what most would consider “blessings.” So, first off, the Beatitudes reorder our conception of what God values versus what the kingdoms of this world value. In our trust in these seemingly inscrutable sayings, and more importantly faith in the sayer, we experience healing for our souls: both a filling and repairing effect.At this mountain top, we see Jesus both as a teacher with His close disciples and as a new Moses giving us God’s word. Not only does Jesus summarize the upward and outward thrust of the 10 commandments, but He expounds upon the spirit by which God’s word is fulfilled through us: utter dependence upon Him and unabashed joy in His love overflowing to others through us. His words continue to resonate, eternally profound. At this mountain, we all strain to hear what the ultimate teacher taught His disciples.

In chapter 4 we see Jesus beginning to preach His message of repentance and good news concerning the Kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is this teaching in all of its glory and the Beatitudes set the frame by which everything else is recognized. With the Beatitudes we see the heart of Jesus’ teaching. They are both the realization of and the fulfillment of the 10 commandments, which began God’s word from Sinai.These compact 8 verses illuminate what God considers good for us: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and experiencing persecution for righteousness. These are not what most would consider “blessings.” So, first off, the Beatitudes reorder our conception of what God values versus what the kingdoms of this world value. In our trust in these seemingly inscrutable sayings, and more importantly faith in the sayer, we experience healing for our souls: both a filling and repairing effect.At this mountain top, we see Jesus both as a teacher with His close disciples and as a new Moses giving us God’s word. Not only does Jesus summarize the upward and outward thrust of the 10 commandments, but He expounds upon the spirit by which God’s word is fulfilled through us: utter dependence upon Him and unabashed joy in His love overflowing to others through us. His words continue to resonate, eternally profound. At this mountain, we all strain to hear what the ultimate teacher taught His disciples.

In chapter 4 we see Jesus beginning to preach His message of repentance and good news concerning the Kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is this teaching in all of its glory and the Beatitudes set the frame by which everything else is recognized. With the Beatitudes we see the heart of Jesus’ teaching. They are both the realization of and the fulfillment of the 10 commandments, which began God’s word from Sinai.These compact 8 verses illuminate what God considers good for us: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and experiencing persecution for righteousness. These are not what most would consider “blessings.” So, first off, the Beatitudes reorder our conception of what God values versus what the kingdoms of this world value. In our trust in these seemingly inscrutable sayings, and more importantly faith in the sayer, we experience healing for our souls: both a filling and repairing effect.At this mountain top, we see Jesus both as a teacher with His close disciples and as a new Moses giving us God’s word. Not only does Jesus summarize the upward and outward thrust of the 10 commandments, but He expounds upon the spirit by which God’s word is fulfilled through us: utter dependence upon Him and unabashed joy in His love overflowing to others through us. His words continue to resonate, eternally profound. At this mountain, we all strain to hear what the ultimate teacher taught His disciples.

In chapter 4 we see Jesus beginning to preach His message of repentance and good news concerning the Kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is this teaching in all of its glory and the Beatitudes set the frame by which everything else is recognized. With the Beatitudes we see the heart of Jesus’ teaching. They are both the realization of and the fulfillment of the 10 commandments, which began God’s word from Sinai.These compact 8 verses illuminate what God considers good for us: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, and experiencing persecution for righteousness. These are not what most would consider “blessings.” So, first off, the Beatitudes reorder our conception of what God values versus what the kingdoms of this world value. In our trust in these seemingly inscrutable sayings, and more importantly faith in the sayer, we experience healing for our souls: both a filling and repairing effect.At this mountain top, we see Jesus both as a teacher with His close disciples and as a new Moses giving us God’s word. Not only does Jesus summarize the upward and outward thrust of the 10 commandments, but He expounds upon the spirit by which God’s word is fulfilled through us: utter dependence upon Him and unabashed joy in His love overflowing to others through us. His words continue to resonate, eternally profound. At this mountain, we all strain to hear what the ultimate teacher taught His disciples.

We’re closing in on the end of the Sermon on the Mount now, and it’s all coming together here. Like any good sermon, we have a closing and a call to action; but, it’s such a different ending than you and I may be accustomed to and it was certainly different for His hearers. He’s calling them to listen to Him. He’s not like any other teacher in the way He points so squarely to Himself as the ultimate authority.What makes Jesus our best judge and hope?We’re going to explore this question; but, as we do, I believe we will see it is inexorably linked with how difficult His call to action is. And we’ll start here. We’re going to do a few different things in these next episodes. First, we’re going to read the rest of the chapter for context. We want you to hear how each part is connected. Then, we’re going to focus, as we’ve been doing, on the various pieces that make the whole.Wadi/desert flood — https://www.timesofisrael.com/negev-rivers-rebirth-caught-on-film/Scripture Referenced:Matthew 7:13-29

We’re closing in on the end of the Sermon on the Mount now, and it’s all coming together here. Like any good sermon, we have a closing and a call to action; but, it’s such a different ending than you and I may be accustomed to and it was certainly different for His hearers. He’s calling them to listen to Him. He’s not like any other teacher in the way He points so squarely to Himself as the ultimate authority.What makes Jesus our best judge and hope?We’re going to explore this question; but, as we do, I believe we will see it is inexorably linked with how difficult His call to action is. And we’ll start here. We’re going to do a few different things in these next episodes. First, we’re going to read the rest of the chapter for context. We want you to hear how each part is connected. Then, we’re going to focus, as we’ve been doing, on the various pieces that make the whole.Scripture Referenced:Matthew 7:13-29

We’re closing in on the end of the Sermon on the Mount now, and it’s all coming together here. Like any good sermon, we have a closing and a call to action; but, it’s such a different ending than you and I may be accustomed to and it was certainly different for His hearers. He’s calling them to listen to Him. He’s not like any other teacher in the way He points so squarely to Himself as the ultimate authority.What makes Jesus our best judge and hope?We’re going to explore this question; but, as we do, I believe we will see it is inexorably linked with how difficult His call to action is. And we’ll start here. We’re going to do a few different things in these next episodes. First, we’re going to read the rest of the chapter for context. We want you to hear how each part is connected. Then, we’re going to focus, as we’ve been doing, on the various pieces that make the whole.Scripture Referenced:Matthew 7:13-29

We’re closing in on the end of the Sermon on the Mount now, and it’s all coming together here. Like any good sermon, we have a closing and a call to action; but, it’s such a different ending than you and I may be accustomed to and it was certainly different for His hearers. He’s calling them to listen to Him. He’s not like any other teacher in the way He points so squarely to Himself as the ultimate authority.What makes Jesus our best judge and hope?We’re going to explore this question; but, as we do, I believe we will see it is inexorably linked with how difficult His call to action is. And we’ll start here. We’re going to do a few different things in these next episodes. First, we’re going to read the rest of the chapter for context. We want you to hear how each part is connected. Then, we’re going to focus, as we’ve been doing, on the various pieces that make the whole.Scripture Referenced:Matthew 7:13-29

We’re closing in on the end of the Sermon on the Mount now, and it’s all coming together here. Like any good sermon, we have a closing and a call to action; but, it’s such a different ending than you and I may be accustomed to and it was certainly different for His hearers. He’s calling them to listen to Him. He’s not like any other teacher in the way He points so squarely to Himself as the ultimate authority.What makes Jesus our best judge and hope? We’re going to explore this question; but, as we do, I believe we will see it is inexorably linked with how difficult His call to action is. And we’ll start here. We’re going to do a few different things in these next episodes. First, we’re going to read the rest of the chapter for context. We want you to hear how each part is connected. Then, we’re going to focus, as we’ve been doing, on the various pieces that make the whole.Scripture Referenced:Matthew 7:13-29

In this episode, we continue discussing Jesus’ “ask, seek, knock” teaching in Matthew 7:7-12.

In this episode, we continue discussing Jesus’ “ask, seek, knock” teaching in Matthew 7:7-12.

In this episode, we continue discussing Jesus’ “ask, seek, knock” teaching in Matthew 7:7-12.

In this episode, we continue discussing Jesus’ “ask, seek, knock” teaching in Matthew 7:7-12.

In this episode, we start discussing Jesus’ “ask, seek, knock” teaching in Matthew 7:7-12. We ask why Jesus repeats and even escalates his call to prayer, and why he places no provisions or conditions on the promise to receive what we ask. Along the way, we unpack the role of persistence in prayer and how God uses prayer to teach us about what is good.Scriptures referenced:Matthew 7:7-12Luke 11:5-13Daniel 10:12-14Luke 18:1-8Genesis 4:6-7Rev 3:20Luke 15:1-7Luke 18:9-14Romans 8:26-27

In this episode, we discuss the troubling-to-many “dogs and pigs” passage. Is Jesus being too harsh here? Who does Jesus mean by “dogs and pigs,” and how are we supposed to interpret this in light of the immediate context that speaks so sternly against judging others’ value and worth?

In this episode, we talk about the crucial role gentleness plays when we address sin in another person. “With people, fast is slow, and slow is fast.”

In this episode, we discuss Jesus’ order of operations in addressing sin in a community: evaluate yourself, and then talk to your brother or sister. We discuss some practical ways we can evaluate ourselves appropriately with the humility we need. We then pick up the “good eye” metaphor Jesus developed in Matthew 6 and discuss what it looks like to act generously towards each other as we deal with conflict or disagreement.

In this episode, we continue our discussion on Jesus’ discourse on judgment. We talk about how easy it is to judge other people before we evaluate ourselves. We share examples of ways that holding other people to a higher standard than we hold ourselves creeps into our ”lives and the impact this can have on our perception of others.

In this episode, we begin our discussion of Jesus‘s famous teaching to not judge one another. We talk about the different definitions of the word “judge” and the fact that many other scriptures seem to require that we actually do judge other people. How do we balance these scriptures and learn to discern what is right and wrong while keeping a humble posture?

We end our discussion on Jesus’ teaching to not worry by looking at His concluding words to seek first the kingdom and not worry about tomorrow. We talk about our refocusing our priorities on the kingdom both helps us see our problems with clearer perspective and is an expression of trust in God that he will take care of us. We also discuss about the freedom we can experience in releasing the future to God instead of worrying about all the possible things that may happen.

Jesus calls his disciples “you of little faith” or more literally “little faiths”. We continue our discussion on Matthew 6:25-34 by showing how this is more an invitation to trust instead of a condemnation for failing to not measure up. God is worthy of our trust, and he is inviting us to remember it so we can rest in confidence.

What can we learn from the flowers of the field? In this episode, we explore how Jesus invites us to trust in the midst of need, and how we can partner with God to be a blessing to others.

Jesus uses multiple “arguments” to show us why we don’t need to worry. In this episode, we tackle two of them, meditating on what we can learn from the birds and the reality of the clock. We discuss worries both imagined and real and practical steps we can take in the midst of worry.

This episode kicks off our discussion of Matthew 5:24-34. We consider how Jesus’ teaching of not worrying connects to the previous teaching that “we cannot serve both God and money.” We discuss the way money and material possessions can serve as a replacement for God when we are anxious or worrying about our future, and how the life Jesus calls us to is filled with much more than just food and clothes.

“You cannot serve both God and money.” We close out our discussion of Matthew 6:19-24 with this mic drop from Jesus. We consider the commands in the Old Testament and how God had intentionally built a system to teach his people to be generous, care for the poor, and deal with prosperity. We reflect on the impossibility of living of life acquisition and a life of the cross at the same time, and how we can shift our perspective to live more like the latter.

What does it mean for us to be “full of light?” What do we have to gain from being generous, as individuals and a community? What is the connection between generosity and trust? What prevents us from being generous? We discuss these questions as we continue our mediation on Jesus’ teaching on treasures in heaven.

In this podcast, we draw out the connection between “good eyes” and generosity. We look at examples of generosity in the Old Testament and ways we can be generous other than our money, including hospitality, compassion, kindness, and mercy.

In this episode, we begin considering how we might interpret Jesus’ teaching on money in our modern lives. We discuss the cost of maintaining and caring for material possessions, the connection between money and idolatry, and what it takes to maintain a given standard of living.

In this episode, we welcome Jim Garten, a dear friend who has a wealth of knowledge to share from his study of the sermon on the mount. We begin our discussion on Jesus’ teaching on wealth and money by considering how the different groups Jesus was speaking to may have heard this. Money is an inescapable reality in our own lives, so we must wrestle with Jesus’ words as we consider they apply to us, not just someone else.

Is grace conditional on forgiveness? Why are we asking God to not lead us into temptation: would he ever do that? How does Jesus draw on this prayer in other parts of his life? We meditate on these questions and more in our last episode on the Lord’s Prayer.

What do our petitions say about our prayers? In this episode, we see how Jesus teaches us to turn our attention to God’s purposes and plans, teaching us to trust in his provision in the same way the Israelites were called to trust in God for manna in the desert.

Is the Lord’s Prayer a template or a formula? How should we address God, and what can we learn about prayer if we consider Jesus’ address of “Our Father in Heaven?” We consider these questions and more in our first episode on the Lord’s Prayer.

What is the reward for obeying Jesus’ teaching to practice our good deeds “in secret”? In this podcast, we talk about the benefits of this practice, both in this life and the next, for what it gives us and what dangers it helps us avoid.

In this episode we discuss Jesus’ extended discussion on performative religion. We talk about how this creeps into our own lives, and what the point of “good deeds” may be after all.

In this episode, we conclude Matthew 5 and share thoughts and reflections from the the first section of the sermon on the mount.

We close out our discussions on retaliation and enemy love by wrestling with the role of Christians and the government in advancing God’s purposes. Can Christians serve in government or military positions and still keep Jesus as their master? After this discussion, we end by summarizing rock-solid convictions we’ve come to through the past 7 episodes.

In this episode, Tim leads us in a discussion as we revisit the question of retaliation: what should Christians do when we are physically assaulted? Note: this episode and the one following are excellent examples of how we can wrestle with the scriptures as a community even when we may disagree on our interpretations.

Can Christians join the armed forces? What is the role of the government and its institutions in bringing and upholding justice? How can Christians be a light when participating in the effort to bring justice? This episode looks at one side of this discussion - continue to part 4 of our series on enemy love for our discussion on a different perspective.

In this episode, we focus primarily on two questions: what can happen when we ignore Jesus’ words to love our enemies? What is the scale and scope of Jesus’ words here: is he thinking about interpersonal relationships or broader groups? How would someone in Jesus’ audience define an enemy? We are joined in this episode by Darryl Owens, an elder in the Boston Church of Christ and a police officer who specializes in training other officers in the use of force.

As we start our discussion of Jesus’ command to love our enemies, we welcome Darryl Owens, an elder in the Boston Church of Christ and a police officer. Darryl shares his background and experience both as a police officer and a use of force instructor for other officers. We discuss the contagious nature of both love and hate, the way that love overcomes enmity, and begin to draw connections between our previous discussion on retaliation and loving our enemies.We are joined in this episode by Darryl Owens, an elder in the Boston Church of Christ and a police officer who specializes in training other officers in the use of force.

How did Jesus call us to respond to evil? In this episode, we look at the subversive nature of Jesus’ teaching on retaliation. We discuss the implications of this teaching on giving to (anyone??) who asks, and how Jesus modeled the behavior he calls us to on the cross.

This episode opens our extended discussion on Jesus’ teachings on retaliation and loving our enemies. We start by examining Matthew 5:38-42, where Jesus calls us to not resist an evil person. How does this command relate to existing commands in the Old Testament? Is Jesus talking about how we respond when we or insulted, or when we are physically assaulted? Note: this episode and the ones following are an excellent example of how we can wrestle with the scriptures as a community even when we may disagree on our interpretations.

In this episode, we continue our discussion on oaths and vows by exploring whether Jesus is saying that oaths and vows are always bad. We discuss what it looks like to live a life of radical integrity in a world filled with deceit and dishonesty and how our integrity is a lens to who our true father is.Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 5:33-37Galatians 1:20Hebrews 6:16-18Genesis 3:1-4Romans 12:1-2John 8:44