The King and His Kingdom
Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew
The Kingdom Character
Teaching Strategy
The focus of this lesson is the introduction of the Sermon on the Mount and a section known as, “The Beatitudes.” Of special note in this lesson is the difference between the understanding of the members of God’s Kingdom and those only seeking to uphold a legalistic righteousness. Note: Given the complexity and importance of this lesson, instructors should consider presenting it in two sessions.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Know: Comprehend God’s view of true happiness as compared to that considered by those in the “world”.
- Feel: Appreciate the spiritual nature and outward view of true happiness.
- Do: Practice the lifestyle described by the Lord in the Sermon on the Mount.
Body of the Lesson
Discussion Questions
Below are suggested questions to use during the guided discussion portion of the lesson. There are also suggested responses to questions to help students grasp the various concepts. These are provided to assist the discussion and are not considered as "right or wrong" responses.
There will be a variety of responses but look for those that indicate an understanding that our Lord's Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom and thus one that is eternal in nature and one that supersedes geopolitical entities, places and cultures. The physical numbers of citizens is not considered. Rather, the Kingdom of God exists in the hearts of those who have obeyed our Lord through faith.
Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by stating nine elements of true happiness. Each of these symbolize a life of humility (poor in spirit), repentance (those that mourn), meek (a gentle and self-controlled spirit), thirst for righteousness (God's way, not ours), merciful, peacemakers, persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
True happiness (blessedness) is based on God's will being accomplished through and in us regardless of consequences. One may exhibit any number of these characteristics, but as stated in the last, "for the sake of righteousness" must be the reasoning for it. To do otherwise, although admirable, does not do so for the sake of fulfilling our Lord's will.
Citizens in God's Kingdom must live according to a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness, especially self-righteousness of those in the world. The righteousness of God is what His citizens crave and find. It is through obedience that we demonstrate our faith and love for the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Murder – Jesus explains how this violation begins with anger and resentment towards others. He teaches that by avoiding the beginning of murder which is anger and hatred in our hearts towards others, we also avoid what these thoughts and feelings can lead to. If we don't resist the beginning of sin we will then be guilty for what that anger eventually conceives and gives life to.
Adultery – The custom had become very easy for a man to divorce his wife. The cause was selfishness and hidden desires of the heart. Jesus, therefore, emphasizes that adultery begins with the heart where both sin and faith are conceived.
Vows – Jesus teaches that if we are citizens of God's Kingdom then we have an honest heart. True obedience requires love and honesty and requires no oath for validation.
Justice – Jesus teaches that mercy is a greater response than retaliation. When we forgo our sense of justice, we exhibit love for others, especially those whom we perceive to have offended us.
Humility – Jesus teaches that love underscores all that God the Father has done, and what the citizens of His Kingdom show. The concepts He teaches help us to focus on the well being of others rather than a life constantly focused on self.
Our relationship with God is not demonstrated exclusively through adherence to rituals and traditions. We practice obedience towards God (vs. 1-4), communicating through prayer that is not done to impress others (vs. 5-18), and trust in God to provide all we need to faithfully serve Him (vs. 19-34).
We are to treat people in everything, the same way we want them to treat us (vs. 12).
Note: In this section, Jesus states that those who hear and act upon His words are wise. To hear is to go beyond physical reception of sound. It is to assign the meaning as Jesus intends and allow it to cause you to act as He wills. A corollary to this is in Acts 2:41, "So those who received his words were baptized…" In this passage, they not only heard what Peter said, but they received it. This means they internalized it, accepted it, and clearly acted as God wills by obeying through their repentance and baptism. The result was they entered into a saved relationship with God.
The "way" is not the way the world expects or takes. It is not an easy calling, yet one that will be rewarded during and after with an ever-growing relationship with God. It requires taking a narrow pathway that is focused on God's way, not man's. We are to live and teach the truth of God's way thus producing fruit acceptable to God, we are to go beyond hearing by actually doing what God asks of us.
Our true spiritual growth begins as we seek and obey God's will. All too often this is contrary to what we or others think is important. If we are to be disciples of Jesus and citizens in His Kingdom, then we must obey Him rather than others.
Note: The following are additional questions related to the lesson.
Answers will vary. The intent of the question is to see how the Sermon on the Mount teaches us characteristics of Kingdom citizenship. Jesus explains God's view in areas that we may have come to misunderstand.
We learn 5 key points:
- True happiness
- Attitudes towards the Law (God's word)
- Relationship with God
- Relationships with others
- Life in the Kingdom.
The concepts related by Jesus in the Beatitudes are not physical (temporal) in nature but spiritual and get to the heart of who we are and should be seen as citizens of God's Kingdom. These characteristics are seen in Jesus and should be seen in us as His disciples.
We honor life, purity, truthfulness, justice and humility.
We seek to please God, not men. We pray to communicate with God, not to be seen by men. We trust God to meet our needs.