The Sermon on the Mount: “A More Excellent Way”

Purpose: To

encourage class members to come

unto Christ by applying the

principles he taught in the sermon on

the mount

Gospel Doctrine Lesson Eight

Remember, the beatitudes are not meant to be

interpreted as a simple list of proverbs or a

compilation of independent sayings. They are instead a step by step

description of how our Father in Heaven rebuilds the hearts of those who

follow the Savior. There is not space on this worksheet to cover all of the beatitudes, nor the entire Sermon on the

Mount. Entire books have been written on these

subjects. Nevertheless, I hope that my thoughts will start you on your

own path of contemplation regarding what steps the Savior

would have you take to change your heart from that of a simple believer

to that of a devoted disciple.

Step One: Blessed are the poor Matthew 5:3

The Greek work poor translates more closely to the English word beggar.

Therefore, it doesn’t simply mean one with few earthly possessions. It applies to those who require the charity of others in order

to survive.

In what ways are you “poor in spirit” or dependent upon the charity of others to

survive?

Why would Jesus make this the first step in his plan to turn believers into disciples?

        Blessings are received upon surrender, not awarded upon conquest. The first step to receiving a blessing is a plea for help, an acknowledgment of moral destitution, an admission of inward paucity. Those who receive God’s presence have declared

spiritual bankruptcy and are aware of their spiritual crisis. Their cupboards are bare. Their pockets are empty.

Their options are gone. They have long since stopped demanding justice and have begun pleading for mercy.

They don’t brag. They beg. They ask God to do for them what they can’t do without him. Oh the irony of God’s blessings—they thrive in the parched soil of

destitution rather than in the fertile ground of achievement. Max Lucado

Step Two: Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn

Mourning follows from an honest

acknowledgement of our poverty of spirit. Once we recognize our weakness, we naturally

become disturbed by our predilection toward sin and error. As King David cried out in Psalms

6:7, "Mine eye is consumed because of grief”. Peter said in Matthew 26:75, "And Peter

remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him,’ Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly’, And Nephi laments in 2 Nephi 4, "Oh

wretched man that I am”

Thus, the second beatitude logically follows the first. Of all the paths to joy, this one has to be the strangest. True blessedness, Jesus says, begins with deep sadness. In layman’s

term, “Blessed are those who know they are in trouble and have enough sense to admit it”.

1.  After thinking about these first two steps, complete the sentence:

“Blessed are those who mourn for:

2. What specific kind of grief do these verses speak of?

3. Can you think of cases in which admitting failure can become a cop-out or an excuse to stop trying? What (if

any) is the difference between “mourning” and giving in to failure?

Step Three: Blessed are the meek Matthew 5:5

Sorrow is followed by meekness. The meek are filled with regard to God and His purposes in the universe. The meek are not awe-struck by the world. They are not distracted by the many frustrations of life; they are more easily mobilized for eternal causes and less easily immobilized by the disappointments of the day. Because they make fewer demands of life, the meek are less easily disappointed. They are less concerned with their entitlements than with their assignments. The meek are amazed that God would save them, and they are surprised that God would use them. It is as if they are the junior-high-school clarinet section leader chosen to play with the Boston Pops. They don’t tell the maestro how to conduct; they’re just thrilled to be part of the concert.

Step Four: Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness Matthew 5:6

Step Five: Blessed are the merciful Matthew 5:7

The first step is to ask for help, become poor in spirit, admit our need for a Savior

The next step is sorrow: No excuses, no justification, just tears. The next step is one of renewal: blessed are the meek for it is the realization of

weakness that leads us to our true source of strength, God. The first two beatitudes take us through the fire of purification. The third places us in the hands

of the master. The fourth shows us the result of this process. Hunger. You want more. You are continually drawn to this process of becoming a

disciple, this process which is so different from anything to be found in the world. You admit sin, you get saved. You confess weakness, you receive strength. You say

that you are sorry, you find forgiveness. Then comes mercy. The more you receive the more you give.

Where are you on your journey through the Savior’s steps to become a disciple? Do you need to be more merciful? More meek? Write down one very specific thing

that you can do this week to further your progress in this area.

The Parable of the Candles  Late one night there was a blackout. In the darkness I stumbled to the closet where we keep the candles for nights like this. Flicking the lighter, I lit four of them. I was turning to leave the closet when the largest of the candles spoke. "Don't take me out there! Please!” "What? I replied” "I said, Don't take me out of this room." "What do you mean? I have to take you out. You're a candle. It’s your job to go out there and bring light to the darkness.” "But you can't take me out. I'm not ready," the candle explained with pleading eyes. "I need more preparation." "More preparation?" "Yeah, I've decided I need to research this job of light-giving so I won't go out and make a bunch of mistakes. You'd be surprised how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be ...." "All right then," I said. "You're not the only candle on the shelf. I'll blow you out and take the other three!" Just then the other candles began to speak. "We aren't going either!" I turned to the remaining candles, "You are candles and your job is to light dark places!" "I don’t have time to go out there”, said the second candle. I'm busy ... I'm meditating on the importance of light. It's really enlightening." "And you other two," I asked, "are you going to stay in this closet too?" The smallest candle spoke up. "I’m afraid to go out there. I'm working on getting my life together. I'm not stable enough yet." The last candle said, "I'd like to help, but I’m not very good at lighting the darkness. I'm a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly." She began a rendition of "This Little Light of Mine". The other three candles joined in. I took a step back and considered the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet.

Matthew 5:14-16

“ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that

are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good

works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”