The Sermon on the Mount might be the most important passage for students of the Bible to know well and study deeply. It is the lens through which the rest of the Bible needs to be read and interpreted, because it is the best snapshot we have of Jesus’ instruction, values, priorities, and direction for those who desire to pursue the Kingdom. In an imprecise way, it’s a consolidated snapshot of how we’re meant to live our lives.
So why does that matter so much in the larger scope of Bible study? I’m so glad you asked.
If you are reading the writings of Paul, for example, and what you read seems to contradict or go against the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, you can be sure that you’re misunderstanding Paul. (Don’t feel bad; misunderstanding Paul is kind of the norm in some ways!) And that’s what I mean by using the SOTM as a lens.
There is quite a lot of harmful theology out in the larger world of Christendom that results from two key things: first, a lack of appropriate contextualization. As we’ve learned, there are a LOT of instances in the Bible in which understanding the historical, cultural, linguistic, or other context completely shifts how we understand the passage. Another mistake people make is failing to read the Bible with an appropriate hierarchy in view.
If that’s a new idea, don’t panic. In all likelihood, you already use a sort of unconscious hierarchy when you study the Bible. If you read an unfamiliar passage in which Ehud says, “Don’t do X.” But elsewhere, you read Jesus saying, “Yes, definitely do X,” you’d probably defer to Jesus, yes? (Gold star to anyone who knows who Ehud is.) That’s reading through the lens of a hierarchy. And that’s the gist of it!
For many theologians and scholars (and Bible teachers named Marina McClure), the Sermon on the Mount is the top tier of the hierarchy, followed by the Gospels as a whole. After that, the hierarchy shifts slightly depending on who you ask and when you ask them. At present, I’ll put the Torah/Pentateuch right after the Gospels. Then, the Psalms and the Wisdom literature, followed by the Prophets. Bringing up the rear are the writings of Paul. There are a few books that don’t get caught in that net, but, loosely applied, this is a fairly solid way to read and prioritize interpretive elements as you study.
I’d be willing to bet that if you thought about some of the damaging theologies you’ve encountered, most, if not all, would be forced to fall to the wayside if examined through this hierarchy of lenses approach. And that, my friends, is why the Sermon on the Mount is such a worthwhile place to invest your energy.
