Introduction

The sermon on the Mount, when not viewed through the lens of grace, can become a very troubling teaching of Jesus. What we need to understand is that everything in Scripture, the gospel means that that is the lens by which we interpret the words of Jesus and his teachings. This is why Paul said we preach Christ and him crucified because the cross brings meaning and balance to our understanding of what Jesus is driving at. It's meant to push us to a place of desperation to drive us continually back to that first beatitude: blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.