1. The least of these. Maybe we should translate  25:40 something like this: “However you are treating the poor, the sick, and those who are suffering from other bad circumstances, well, that’s how you are treating the King of the universe, the God you claim to worship.” You may welcome such a comment, noting that you are loving and kind in every aspect of your life. And  perhaps you are. You may be showing your love to God by your kindness and caring to those in trouble around you. Your lesson author suggests that the same  attitudes and priorities we are urged to follow on earth will rule supreme in the courts above.  0000
2. Introducing the Sermon on the Mount. Salt and light. Probably as common in the days of Jesus’ ministry as today, salt and light are important in our everyday lives. Remember the last time you tasted a spoonful of rice cooked with no salt?  Did you “make a face” or say something to indicate how bad it was? And how about living in darkness even for a short time? How much did you appreciate light coming to you, eliminating darkness and making visible what could not be seen before? What are some everyday examples of spiritual salt and light?  How much do you and I need this kind of salt and light in sharing the good news of \
3. and His ministry?  What can we do to obtain it? What about your church? If it would suddenly disappear from the community, how much would its presence in the community be missed? 
4. Overcoming evil with good.  The primary classes of  people in Jesus’ time were the common folks and the ruling class, and the differences in lifestyle, material wealth, and opportunities for economic prosperity.  Although born In humble circumstances, with His talents and power Jesus could have ascended rapidly to the heights of wealth and privilege. Instead, He lived a life of humble service. He also shared wisdom with the downtrodden. One piece of advice Jesus shared was the concept of treating their oppressors with dignity and respect. How can you and I follow Jesus’ example of friends with the downtrodden and showing respect to the sick and poverty-stricken? Or should our primary field of ministry be one of showing respect to those in power over us? Does the Golden Rule play  an important role in your home? your church? your work life? 
5. The Good Samaritan. How did the example of the “good Samaritan” shed light on the question of who should be judged as a true follower of Jesus? Think about the last time you encountered someone with a great—and obvious—need for food or medical care. Were you able to minister to that person in any way? What if that person wasn’t a friend or acquaintance of you or your family’s? Would that make a difference? Should it?
6. The Rich Man and Lazarus. Two men—one rich, one poor; one strong, one weak. The rich man wore the finest clothing on the market. He showed his wealth with every stitch and ornament on his body. Then there was Lazarus, a beggar with a body marked by running sores. Both men died, and the rich man pled for mercy. The conclusion of this story is that by not paying heed to the words of the prophets, the rich man lost his chance of being healed. What is the spiritual lesson of this story? Our lesson suggests that it was the “temptation of wealth” that drew the man from salvation. What do you think?’
7. Not salvation by works. Our lesson authors emphasize that we are not saved by how hard we work but by how close our hearts are to the heart of God. Jesus could have walked away and kept a safe distance from every unclean and sinful person who sought His attention. Instead, Jesus willingly approached the most down-in-the-dumps individuals and responded to their desperation and crying needs. Do we do enough in these modern times to help those who are sick and in pain? Should we support our health and healing ministries more than we do? Or should we emphasize healthy living to avoid deadly diseases? Should we spend more time ministering to the sick and afflicted?

Amen!(0)

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Key Thought: Jesus taught that His followers will live as a people of compassion and mercy while they wait for His return.

August 24, 2019

1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 5:2-16.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What does it mean to be merciful? How do we show mercy?
3. Personal Application: How do you feel about the fact that people will defame your name, speak lies against you, and accuse you of nasty things because of your faith? How could you defend yourself? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Jesus blessed the meek and humble and persecuted, but these are the ones the world considers losers and useless and worthy of ridicule and abuse. Trying to be a peacemaker will get you verbally abused and a punch in the nose. The world is an angry place.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Luke 10:25-28.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. Why did Jesus ask the young ruler what he thought was the way to eternal life instead of giving an explicit answer?
3. Personal Application: Did you ever consider if you were doing enough or good enough to be saved? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why did Jesus use a story with a good Samaritan stranger doing the right thing to help the man on the wayside to illustrate the Jews religious thinking that led them to not help the man?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Luke 16:19-22.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. Is being poor a guarantee that you will go to heaven?
3. Personal Application: How can we be careful not to let money or the love of money distort our ideas on what we should focus on in life? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “Is there anything wrong with being rich or desiring to have good things? Can a person be a good Christian and still be well-off or is the Christian to divest himself from all riches?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Matthew 25:41-45.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. Why isn’t this an illustration of salvation by works?
3. Personal Application: Why did Jesus equate Himself with the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned? Why obligation does that put on us? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study : Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

Amen!(1)

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When we consider the teaching of Jesus, it is worthwhile to keep in mind the people He was talking to and the circumstances in which they lived. Jesus had begun to attract large crowds of people from the regions where He had ministered (see Matt. 4:25, Matt. 5:1). Most were common people, living under the imperial rule of the Roman Empire, but some were the Jewish rulers and religious leaders. The existence of the common people was difficult. They had few choices for their own lives, burdened by heavy taxation and weighed down by religious tradition.

Sharing

In teaching these people, Jesus was obviously concerned with offering them a way to live well, to live with dignity and courage, whatever their circumstances. One example of this is found in Matthew 5:38-48. In the English language, these instructions—“turn the other cheek”, “give them the shirt off your back”, and “go the extra mile”—are so well known as to be clichés. But this familiarity belies the radical actions and attitudes that Jesus is teaching here.

The scenarios Jesus described were common experiences for many of His listeners. They were often violently assaulted by their “superiors” or masters. They were often indebted and lost their property to the landlords and lenders. They were often pressed into labor by the occupying Roman soldiers. Jesus taught the people to respond with integrity, to treat the oppressors better than they deserved, and, by so doing, to resist the loss of their humanity. While these oppressors tried to exert their power, the people always had the freedom to choose how they would respond and, by resisting nonviolently and responding generously, they exposed the evil of the oppression and injustice that was being done.

Compare Matthew 5:38-48 with Romans 12:20-21. How are we to live out these radical principles in our lives?

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Jesus’ longest sermon—or collection of teachings—is the Sermon on the Mount. His three-chapter survey of life in God’s kingdom begins with a statement of values that has come to be known as the Beatitudes.

Read Matthew 5:2-16 (see also Luke 6:20). What are the common features of these nine values or kinds of people described by Jesus as “blessed”?

Sermon on the Mount

Along with the deep spiritual application of these words, we must not miss the practical reading of them, as well. Jesus talked about recognizing the poverty in ourselves and in our world. He also talked about righteousness (translated as “justice” in some Bible versions), humility, mercy, peacemaking, and purity of heart. We should take note of the practical difference that these qualities will make in our lives and in our world when they are lived out. Such a practical reading is emphasized in Jesus’ following statements in which He urged His disciples to be salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13-16).

When used appropriately, salt and light are to make a difference in the contexts in which they are added. Salt brings out flavors, as well as preserves the foods it is added to; it is symbolic of the good that we should be for those around us. Similarly, light pushes back the darkness, revealing obstacles and hazards, making a house or city safer and providing a point to navigate by, even when some distance away. Like a light on a dark night, Jesus said, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16, NIV).

Both these salt and light symbols point us to the responsibility of disciples to influence and improve the lives of those around them. We are salt and light when we mourn appropriately, have purity of heart, practice humility, show mercy, make peace, and endure oppression. So, Jesus begins this sermon with the call to embody these sometimes “undervalued values” of His kingdom.

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Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 5:2-16, Matt. 5:38-48; Rom. 12:20-21; Luke 16:19-31; Luke 12:13-21; Matt. 25:31-46.

Memory Text: “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Matthew 25:40, NKJV).

After seeing that Jesus lived a life concerned about others, particularly those who were hurting and lost, we should expect that Jesus would also have a lot to say about care for others. He did.

Jesus’ teaching is practical, focused on what it means to live as a follower of God. As such, we can see that Jesus urges us toward acts of justice, kindness, and mercy, like those that Jesus Himself did while here on earth. If we follow His example, we will minister to others, as He did.

Jesus also talked about the kingdom of heaven. In Jesus’ description, the kingdom of heaven is a reality that we can be part of, even now. It is a way of life that functions with a different set of priorities and values and morals than are found in earthly kingdoms. Jesus’ teachings set out the blueprint for this kingdom, and it includes a strong focus on how we serve God and, in serving Him, how we are to relate to others. We also discover that serving others—caring for their needs and uplifting them—is one way in which we can directly offer service to God.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 24.

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