How to Build Your Life on the Rock, part 2 (a Sermon on the Mount series)
How to Build Your Life on the Rock
Introduction: The Blueprint for an Unsinkable Life
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus laid out the foundational character of a life God approves of: True Blessedness (Part 1). But a life built on the Rock is not meant to be a private fortress; it is designed to be a compelling, transformative influence on the world.
This brings us to the second crucial pillar of building a stable, overcoming life: Manifesting True Righteousness.
As a reminder, our series is built upon the promise found in:
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24–27, NASB 2020)
To build wisely—to live an unsinkable life—means not just hearing the words of Jesus, but acting on them. This second part of the sermon (Matthew 5:13-48) shifts from the internal character of blessedness to the external impact of true righteousness.
I. Called to Be: Salt and Light in a Dark World (Matt 5:13-16)
Jesus begins this section by telling His followers exactly what they are meant to be in the world. He uses two powerful, contrasting metaphors:
1. You Are the Salt of the Earth
Salt is tasted; it gives flavor, preserves, and purifies.
- Significance: Salt signifies our internal character—the invisible quality and moral integrity that keeps the world from moral decay.
- Warning: If salt loses its flavor, it is useless. A believer whose internal character is indistinguishable from the world has no preserving power and will be “thrown out and trampled underfoot” (v. 13).
2. You Are the Light of the World
Light is seen; it dispels darkness and shows the way.
- Significance: Light signifies our external character—the active, visible expression of our faith through our deeds.
- Mandate: A light is meant to shine. We are a “city set on a hill” and a “lamp on a stand” (v. 14-15). Our light must shine through our good works so that the world does not glorify us, but “glorify your Father who is in heaven” (v. 16).
The key takeaway here is synergy: True righteousness is first an internal reality (salt) that is then actively displayed externally (light).
II. Called to Exceed: The Nature of True Righteousness (Matt 5:17-20)
Jesus then addresses a major concern of His audience: His relationship to the Law. He delivers a stunning declaration that sets the stage for the rest of the sermon:
“Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” (Matt 5:17)
A. Fulfilling the Law
Jesus affirmed the eternal necessity of the Scriptures, stating that not “the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!” (v. 18). He came to fulfill the Law in two profound ways:
- By His Life: He perfectly lived out every commandment, achieving the perfect righteousness required by God.
- By His Teaching: He revealed the Law’s true, radical, internal intent, which the religious leaders had missed.
B. Exceeding the Pharisees
This leads to the most challenging statement in the passage:
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:20)
The scribes and Pharisees were the epitome of external piety. They meticulously followed the letter of the Law. Jesus’ shocking statement means their superficial, external righteousness is not enough to enter God’s Kingdom. The righteousness He calls for is fundamentally different—it is an internal righteousness that transforms the person from the inside out.
III. The Six Contrasts: Righteousness from the Heart
Jesus then illustrates this internal righteousness by comparing the traditional (Pharisaic) understanding of the Law with His own radical, true understanding.
| Traditional Teaching (Pharisaic, External) | True Righteousness (Jesus, Internal) | Application |
| Murder (v. 21-22): You shall not physically kill. | The Heart of Anger: Everyone who is angry with his brother or calls him a ‘fool’ is culpable. (v. 22) True righteousness addresses hate—which is spiritual murder (1 John 3:15)—and demands reconciliation before worship (v. 23-26). | Internal Integrity |
| Adultery (v. 27-28): You shall not commit the physical act. | The Heart of Lust: Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (v. 28) True righteousness calls for radical self-discipline, emphasizing that it is better to lose a body part than to be dragged to hell by habitual sin (v. 29-30). | Faithfulness and Purity |
| Divorce (v. 31-32): You can divorce with a legal certificate for many reasons. | The Covenant of Marriage: Divorce is forbidden except for sexual immorality, for it causes the divorced woman to commit adultery. (v. 32) True righteousness teaches faithfulness to the covenant, honoring God’s design. | Marital Fidelity |
| False Vows (v. 33-37): Do not break vows made to the Lord. | The Integrity of Speech: Take no oath at all. Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ (v. 34-37) True righteousness means our ordinary words should be so reliable that oaths become unnecessary. | Honesty and Trustworthiness |
| Vengeance (v. 38-39): An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth (justice). | Non-Retaliation: Do not show opposition against an evil person. If slapped on the cheek, turn the other. (v. 39) True righteousness surrenders the right to vengeance, showing kindness even when sued or forced into service (v. 40-42). | Forgiveness |
| Loving Neighbors (v. 43-45): Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. | Love Your Enemies: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (v. 44) True righteousness reflects the Father, who sends rain and sun on both the evil and the good. We must be perfect, or complete, in love, just as He is (v. 48). | Unconditional Love |
Conclusion: Christ, Our True Righteousness
Ultimately, Jesus’ characterization of righteousness is a characterization of Himself. No one could fulfill the Law, yet He came to fulfill it perfectly (Matt 5:17).
We are all unrighteous, seeking to establish our own self-righteousness, which is disqualified by the standard of Matthew 5:20. It is only through faith that we subject ourselves to Christ’s righteousness, which transforms us from the inside out (Romans 10:2-4).
The Unsinkable Promise
- True righteousness makes us salt and light. It is the flavor of life the world needs to taste and the light it needs to see, guiding others to glorify the Father (Psalm 37:6).
- True righteousness strengthens our lives. It is the hill upon which your life is built, high above the reach of the enemy. It rescues us from the guilt of sin, grants us power over lust and anger, and makes us resilient. “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble” (Psalm 37:39).
Listen to these words, act on them, and find the strength to withstand the hardest trials of life.
