Chapter Summary

Sermon on the mount. Beatitudes. Believer as salt and light. Christ's relation to the law. Divorce

Discussion Questions for Matthew, Chapter 5

1. What is the point of the beatitudes (verses 3-12)? How does someone who is "poor in spirit" gain the kingdom of heaven?
2. The chapter begins with the Beatitudes. How can these qualities—such as being poor in spirit and being a peacemaker—shape our attitudes and actions?
3. Have you ever known salt to lose its saltiness? How might salt lose its saltiness in ancient times? How does this help you understand verse 13?
4. How can you be a light of the Gospel to your family, friends and coworkers this week?
5. How does Jesus fulfill the Law? If Jesus fulfilled the Law, do we still need to follow it? And if we don't need to follow it, how do we know what qualifies as sin?
6. Who do you need to reconcile with in your life? What steps can you take before the next time you worship the Lord?
7. Does Jesus actually want us gouging out our own eyes and cutting off our own hands? What would be some more realistic steps?
8. Verse 30 needs to be read in context, just like every other verse in the Bible. Using context clues from the verses before, what could it be talking about? How does lust eat away at a person in a different way than other sins?
9. Why does Jesus' teachings about divorce (and other types of sin in this chapter) seem to go way beyond what the Lord prescribed when he gave the Law to Moses?
10. Read verses 38-42 again. According to this passage, if a person breaks into a home with the intent to harm that family, should they allow it to happen? Why or why not?
11. Does your life more closely resemble Jesus' life or a non-believer's life? Why? How can you take steps towards Jesus' ideal this week?
12. Jesus ends this passage with a difficult sentence. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Verse 48 CSB). We obviously can't be perfect, so how can we correctly interpret this? What message is Jesus trying to convey to us?

Key Words/Phrase

Sermon on the Mount, vv. 1, 2.

Characters

God, Jesus

Strong Verse(s)

3-16, 18, 28, 32, 39, 44, 48.