Matthew 5:1
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain:
and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
This portion of the Bible is usually known as the Sermon on the Mount. In it are the Beatitudes. During past centuries, this part of the Bible has been a puzzle to many. Unknown numbers of good men have dreamed of making it work in present-day society. Failure has always been the result. Even books have been written in which the characters were supposed to follow the principles of the sermon on the mount. It works in fiction but not in reality. Why? Why do men find this sermon impossible to put into practice? Why was it given? And you may be able to think of many more questions in this connection. Is there a solution?
Yes, there is a solution to the problem. It is a solution offered by the Word itself. It lies in the principle of Right Division. The simple remedy is often untried.
In the first place, we must remember that the Lord is ministering to Jews only. Matthew's Gospel concerns Christ as King, The Lion of the tribe of Judah, in Matt. 1:21, we read, Call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. His people are Israel or the Jews. He came to save them from their sins so they could fulfill the commission God gave to them way back in Exodus. They were to be a priestly nation to testify to the nations of the earth in the name of Jehovah.
The wise men asked, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? In Matt. 10:1-4, He chose the Twelve and instructed them not to go to the Gentiles or even the Samaritans, but rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. If God made a difference between Jews and Gentiles, why shouldn't we?
So the people spoken to in Matt Chapters 5, 6, 7 are people who have an earthly Hope. They were expecting a Great Kingdom here on the earth with the Messiah of Israel on the throne of His father David, ruling over Israel and the nations of the earth. So He could say, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. That is not a promise to anybody today. When, at the end of The Book of Acts, Israel was set aside for the 2 Days of Hosea, 2 thousand years, the Hope was also postponed till the time of the Gentiles comes to an end.
Now, today, we have two Gospels to proclaim. One is John's Gospel, which contains John 3:16, and those who believe will be Resurrected someday and have a part in the new earth. This is the Hope of the bulk of Christendom. A few who were chosen from before the overthrow of the world will inhabit Heavenly Places in Resurrection (Eph 1:3). But the membership in the Millennial Kingdom has been closed at the time of Acts 28:28. So meekness will not help one inherit the earth in these days now.
We know very well that The Sermon on the Mount is not workable today. Suppose you gave it to anybody who asked or lent it to any who desired it? In short order, you would have nothing left. So we can readily see that this cannot apply now.
The Kingdom was already among them, for the King stood in their presence and told them, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." He was about to ratify the new covenant with His blood (see Jer 31:31). In the Kingdom, they will be a Resurrected people with new hearts. This sermon will be their constitution.
