home was her personal stumbling stone. Jesus’ counsel fit her need, as well as that of all who are inclined to be like Martha. In other instances of his teaching it is evident that Jesus showed similar insight by making the individual’s personal obstacle stand out and then alerting the person to it. We too should be observant, noting the inclinations and reactions of those we teach, and then taking those things into consideration as we continue to help them.

HE ROUTED COMPLACENCY

14, 15. How did Jesus open his sermon on the mount, and with what effect?

¹⁴ Jesus’ famous sermon on the mount would not take more than twenty minutes to give as recorded in Matthew 5:1 to 7:27, but it has lasted for nineteen centuries and has been equaled by no sermon since! He was near Capernaum and the crowds were following him, so he went up into the mountain and sat down to teach those that followed him. What did he say? Was it what the majority would readily accept? Did he say that it is the rich who have no need, or the happy who need no comfort? Did he commend those who are well liked by men? No! Rather, he said startling things:

¹⁵ “Happy are you poor, because yours is the kingdom of God. Happy are you who hunger now, because you will be filled. Happy are you who weep now, because you will laugh. Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast your name out as wicked for the sake of the Son of man. Rejoice in that day and leap, for, look! your reward is great in heaven, for those are the same things their forefathers used to do to the prophets.” It was the spiritually hungry, thirsty, reproached, persecuted, needy and mourning ones he pronounced happy.—Luke 6:20-23.

16. What high standards did he set forth, and what effect would these teachings have on his hearers?

¹⁶ Jesus continued: “You heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You must not murder; but whoever commits a murder will be accountable to the court of justice.’ However, I say to you that everyone who continues angry with his brother will be accountable to the court of justice.” (Matt. 5:21, 22) Many people can say, “I have never committed murder. I have kept that law.” But how many can say, “I have never been angry with my brother”? Then Jesus said: “You heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone that keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matt. 5:27, 28) Many in his audience might be able to say, “I have never committed adultery,” but how many of them could honestly say that they had never had a thought of lust in their life? Jesus also said: “You heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ However, I say to you: Do not resist him that is wicked; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him.” Many men can say they do not go around starting fights, but if someone comes up and provocatively slaps first, how many can hold their temper and their hands and avoid a fight?—Matt. 5:38, 39.

17. Whom should we love, and why? And how may hate be conquered?

¹⁷ “You heard that it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you. For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have?” (Matt. 5:43, 44, 46) It is easy to love those who love you, but it is extremely difficult to love those who hate and persecute you. Jehovah is able to love his enemies, and we must copy him if we are to be his children. Why let your conduct be governed by the bad behavior of others? Why hate just because others do? Why get into the vicious cycle of rendering evil for evil? Why lower yourself to the base standards of your enemies? Meeting hate with hate brings trouble, while meeting it with love may end the difficulty. What a blessing it would be if you by your right conduct could win over even your enemy! “Return evil for evil to no one,” Paul said. “But keep conquering the evil with the good.”—Rom. 12:17, 21.

18. In his teaching how did Jesus get right to the bottom of the problem, and how do Christians react to his counsel?

¹⁸ In his teaching Jesus got right to the bottom of the problem, routing one’s feeling of self-righteous complacency. He showed that more is involved than merely refraining from deeds of violence and immorality. He pointed out the thoughts that would lead to those wrong acts, and urged other thoughts to cultivate godly desires so that their right deeds would be motivated by love. In that way they would avoid falling into the deadly cycle later described by James when he said: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.” (Jas. 1:14, 15) Christians take Jesus’ counsel to heart and earnestly endeavor to apply it, but what sinful man can honestly say that he fully measures up to that perfect standard? Who can say that he does not need the long-suffering of Jehovah God and His provision of the Messiah? In Jesus’ day such truths that drew attention to human shortcomings greatly disturbed the religious traditionalists, whose self-righteousness was in the outward keeping of rules and regulations. (Matt. 23:23) Jesus hit hard at complacency in order to bring honest ones to their senses and save them from the snare of pride and self-righteousness.

JESUS PREACHED ACTIVITY

19. What anxieties did Jesus know of, but where did he teach us to fix our attention?

¹⁹ His sermon continued: “Stop being anxious about your souls as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not the soul mean more than food and the body than clothing?” Then, picking illustrations at hand on the hillside, he told them to observe the birds that ate without sowing and the lilies of the field that were so beautifully clothed without spinning. Man too should learn to look to God and thank Him for the things He provides. “If, now, God thus clothes the vegetation of the field which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith?” Jesus stressed putting spiritual things, the Kingdom and God’s righteousness, first, rather than spending so much time and anxiety on material things.—Matt. 6:25-34.

20. (a) What things did Jesus emphasize, and what evidence can you give? (b) Does that affect our teaching? How?

²⁰ Jesus taught his disciples that activity was important. He placed emphasis more on doing good things than on not doing bad things. If you are doing what is right you cannot be doing what is wrong at the same time. “Every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces bad fruit; a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Not everyone saying to me, ‘Master, Master,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.” Merely claiming to be Christian and refraining from wicked deeds is not enough. Instead of laying down a long list of things that his disciples were not to do, Jesus urged them to do the will of God. In the main he dealt with positive action, not negative goodness. He more often condemned people for failure to do good than for the committing of bad. For example, there were the priest and the Levite who went on the other side of the street and left the victim of robbers helpless, the goatlike ones who refrained from doing good to the King’s brothers, and the rich man who did nothing for Lazarus the beggar. Jesus warned his disciples against the wrong way, but he emphasized God’s way. He left the pattern for Christian teachers to follow.—Matt. 7:17, 18, 21.

21. What was the effect of his sermon on his hearers, and what will add illumination to Bible incidents involving him?

²¹ “Now when Jesus finished these sayings, the effect was that the crowds were astounded at his way of teaching; for he was teaching them as a person having authority, and not as their scribes.” How were the scribes teaching? Who were they? What other religious groups functioned in Palestine when Jesus taught there? Knowing something about the religious situation in Palestine at the time of Jesus’ preaching will help us better to understand many incidents recorded in the Bible. (Matt. 7:28, 29) We shall also appreciate more why the listening crowds were astounded at the difference in the Master Jesus’ manner of teaching.

Religious Attitudes When the Master Preached

1. What did the Essenes believe and practice?

APART from the zealous activity of John the Baptist, there were a number of Jewish groups that were molding religious attitudes in Palestine when Jesus began his ministry. One of these groups was the Essenes, who are not mentioned in the inspired writings of Jesus’ apostles and disciples. They believed that godliness required them to punish the body, to fast and to live austerely, so they looked down on anything that was a pleasure to the flesh. They isolated themselves in little communities. The Essenes were not a major religious group confronting Jesus in his preaching, although they have recently been brought into prominence because of the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls of books of the Bible.

2. What were the Zealots interested in, and on what occasion does their influence seem apparent?

² Then there was the group of Zealots or Nationalists. They wanted a Jew to arise to lead them in a revolt against Rome and break the yoke of Rome from off their necks. Galilee was a hotbed of seditions, and that was where Jesus had grown up. One of Jesus’ disciples was called “the zealous one” or “the Zealot,” and may have been a member of the Zealot party. However, he did not stir up the nationalistic or home-rule spirit immediately after Jesus had miraculously fed five thousand men. “Hence when the men saw the signs he performed they began to say: This is for a certainty the prophet that was to come into the world.’ Therefore Jesus, realizing they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain all alone.” These nationalistic ones wanted to set him up as king, consequently in opposition to the rule by Rome. They wanted to draft Jesus, with his miraculous powers, for their own selfish purposes. But Jesus steadfastly refused