The Sermon On The Mount Research Paper

I found the Sermon on the Mount to be quite interesting to read, partly because I have yet to read this until now, and partly because certain aspects of what Matthew was saying struck a chord with me. The section titled Salt and Light makes the claim that individuals should share their God given gifts and talents with everyone. I too believe in the same thing in the way that if you have an idea or talent that could contribute to the advancement of society, no matter how major or minor it is, it should be shared. I also agree with the section titled Concerning Anger based off of the fact that individuals must seek forgiveness from those that he/ she has hurt before seeking forgiveness from God. It is more fulfilling and acceptable to reconcile with those who the individual has hurt rather than wait for them to seek restitution.
This rang true for me because I’d rather have a clear conscience knowing that I have tried to make thing right, instead of feeling guilty because I have not done all I can in my power to change the outcome.
The section Love for Enemies has the philosophy that we should have love for our enemies and we should pray for them because God treats everyone equally. I believe in the same thing, even though people may mistreat me, I like to forgive and forget. I won’t go as far as treating them with the same respect as those who treat me right, but I will not act disrespectfully towards them. When it comes to almsgiving and prayer, I also believe that it should not be a way to show off. It should be a sacred, holy, and personal activity that should occur naturally and kept between the individual and God. Life should not be about the materials, but about how well we live our lives. In the end, those materialistic items no longer hold a purpose, people will not remember how flashy the car was or how big the house is, but they will remember the deeds that were done while the individual was alive and the contributions
made.
The section titled Do Not Worry has the philosophy that we should not worry because God will always provide what we need. I do not necessarily agree with this because as much as I want to believe that somehow in the end God will provide for me I will always worry about where my next meal will come from, what I’m going to drink, and where will I rest my head at night. I believe that everything comes to me with hard work as well. I can pray as much as I want to but if I am worried about my future meals, and where I will stay, I am going to not only pray but work to ensure that my future is secure. I also do not agree with the section titled Concerning Adultery when Matthew states “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”(Matthew 4.20) I believe that by simply getting rid of the issue, or the member that is causing the individual to sin, is taking the easy way out of. Instead of slowly working fixing the issue, say that the individual has an issue with lusting for others, that person should not blind himself/herself, but work on ways to fix the issue. It is more fulfilling and noble of the individual to handle the situation that way. All in all, I feel like I have a better understanding of my own religion and I have also gained more insight.