Full Description
This revised edition of Vaught's theological investigation of the Sermon on the Mount begins with the assumption that the text cannot be understood apart from a transformation of the human spirit. The stages of this transformation are outlined in the Beautitudes, and, against this background, the book comes to focus on the perfection that Jesus demands from his followers.
Vaught's study is a theological attempt to explore some of the ways in which perfection can be achieved. The text moves from Matthew's Beatitudes, through simple illustrations of salt and light, to indications about the way in which Jesus fulfills and transcends the religious tradition from which he comes. In The Sermon on the Mount, we also find suggestions about how to deal with the practical problems of murder and anger, adultery and divorce, the problem of retaliation, and the problem of responding to our enemies.
Contents
Preface
Part I: Divine Perfection and Christian Maturity
1. The Context of the Message
2. Entrance into God's Kingdom
3. The Outward Journey
4. Persecution and the Real Order
5. Two Overarching Metaphors: The Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World
Part II: The Past and the Future: Five Practical Problems
6. Jesus as the Fulfillment of Tradition
7. Murder and Anger
8. Adultery and Divorce
9. The Problem of False Vows
10. The Problem of Retaliation
11. Love Your Enemies
Part III: Six Expressions of Perfection
12. Being Seen and Being Noticed: Secret Acts of Charity
13. The Inner Room and the Lord's Prayer
14. Fasting as a Centered Act
15. Two Treasures, Two Ways of Seeing, Two Masters
16. Beyond Anxiety
17. Judgment and Condemnation
Part IV: Final Considerations about God's Kingdom
18. Access to Transforming Power
19. The Golden Rule and the Narrow Gate
20. Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
21. Two Final Analogies: Houses, Rocks, and Sand
Notes
Index
