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Every day brings us a promise of a new beginning as well as a share of challenges. As we search for practical wisdom to guide us on our life journey, we turn to the teachings of Jesus collected by two evangelists—Matthew and Luke—and known as the Sermon on the Mount. What can we learn from this treasure of biblical wisdom today?

In the series of beatitudes we learn what it means to be blessed. We could translate the Greek term makarios as “having a reason to rejoice.” Here lies the great paradox of the Gospel: whenever we mourn or feel impoverished—be it materially, emotionally or spiritually—we can rejoice through the tears. Whenever we show mercy and kindness to our enemies, we have a reason to be glad. The envoys of God’s kingdom bear peace and pure intentions as their banner when they usher the reign of God into the world fractured by human pride and selfishness. This is the message that runs against the grain of our success-oriented culture where the poor, oppressed and marginalized are hardly perceived as blessed. By living the beatitudes, we “enter into a deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of success and bring the light of Jesus there.”[1] Everyday challenges become less dauting once we realize that God chose us to be suitable vessels for His loving presence not despite but through “our humanness which is defined more by our vulnerability than by our strengths.”[2]

One of the most famous instructions given by the Good Teacher is, “Do not judge” (Matthew 7:1). We need to note that forming judgements is not necessarily a bad thing. The Greek verb krino means to judge, but it also carries a positive meaning: to come to a conclusion in the process of thinking and thus to be in a position to make a sound decision. Clearly, the ability to critically evaluate the situation and determine the best course of action is a mark of a wise person. This is the right type of judgement Jesus expects of us: “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Then what sort of judgement is not right? In the Sermon on the Mount we hear that a judgemental and overly critical attitude is a mark of hypocrisy: the smallest shortcomings of those around us may appear large in the lens distorted by self-righteousness. Conversely, those who are humble enough to embrace the truth about themselves tend to use a generous measure with others. All this ties to the “golden rule” of moral life: “Whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them” (Matthew 7:12).

Another lesson we can take from the Sermon on the Mount is related to perseverance. When faced with challenging circumstances, we might easily lose heart. Among the nuggets of biblical wisdom we find a message for the discouraged: never give up, but keep searching, keep knocking and keep asking. This brings us to the question of prayer and trust. Through the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples we learn to entrust ourselves to the Father of Jesus, who is also our Father. We acknowledge that we rely on our Father in heaven to provide for our daily needs and to deliver us from the overwhelming forces of evil. We desperately want to be independent, but the truth is that we need someone trustworthy and reliable in our lives, someone we can count on. Our dependence on the steadfast love of God is at the heart of trust expressed in the Lord’s Prayer.

Prayer and trust are the foundations upon which we can build fulfilled lives. When teaching on the Mount, Jesus instructs us to be sensible and build our spiritual house on the rock. What is that rock? Psalms often describe God’s character using the image of rock: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection” (Psalm 18:2). As long as we listen to God’s Word and genuinely try to live it out, no amount of everyday hardships and tribulations will be able to shake the solid foundations of our well-being. The faithful love of God is rock solid.

[1] Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: Crossroad Publishing, 2002), 22.

[2] Peter Block, Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013), 53.