Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55:8-11
The Talk on the Hill
The talk on the Hill, by Jesus bar Joseph. Edited by Levi Matthew, CPA. Freedom Press. Jerusalem. 31 AD. Reviewed by the Right Reverend A. G. NOSTIC, Ph.D.
It is hard to explain the ongoing popularity of Matthew’s “Talk on the Hill,” preached by Jesus of Nazareth. Previously known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” this little piece of moral piety continues to defy expectations and appear on nearly everyone’s Best Seller list. Jesus was never popular among the intelligentsia, but his ethical platitudes continue to appeal to religious zealots and youthful idealists. The authoritarian tone will offend many: Jesus speaks as if his way were the only way! He claims that those who follow his teaching will build on a firm foundation and live today in the “Kingdom of heaven.” You can have your best life now he seems to say. Puleeze! Who does this peasant carpenter think he is: God?
If you can get beyond the bigotry and intolerance, however, you will discover a literary style that reflects the artistic beauty the common man loves so dearly. Jesus is unsurpassed in his ability to connect with the illiterate masses and those struggling with life’s problems. He waxes eloquent as he sets forth his utopian dreams of a better world. “Don’t worry about anything,” he says. “Your father in heaven will care for you just as he cares for the birds and the flowers.” Though he was obviously using hyperbole when he told his listeners to love their enemies, his naïve optimism continues to inspire many to be nice to those around them. Perhaps the most memorable part of his sermon (which he apparently plagiarized from Confucius) is “The Golden Rule,” where Jesus urges us to treat others in the same way we want them to treat us.
The discerning reader, however, will want to use great discrimination in interpreting the remainder of the discourse. At best, one might explain Jesus’ teaching by remembering he never had the benefit of modern psychology. At worst, one might suspect he was high on drugs! His eight qualities (beatitudes) necessary for a happy life are a recipe for an emotional disorder. Blessed are the poor….the sorrowful….the hungry….the persecuted? Such talk reveals that Jesus had undoubtedly encountered abuse as a child. And his palpable disdain for the clergy reflects on his subconscious jealousy at being excluded from their number. His emphasis on “heart religion” reveals a mystical idealism that may inspire utopians but has little relevance for addressing the pressing social needs of our day. Nowhere is the pathology of Jesus’ moralistic philosophy better seen than in his astounding admonition to “be perfect” … like God! Those foolish enough try to obey such a command are destined for the psychiatric couch!
“The Talk on the Hill” may have historical value and literary beauty, but its message must be dismissed as the idealistic ravings of an uneducated religious zealot. Those who enter the “narrow door” of this kind of demagoguery will find themselves in the kingdom of Looney Land. If you want t build your life on “the rock” so that you have a firm foundation to withstand the storms that are coming, listen closely to what Jesus says…. And then do just the opposite.
In my humble opinion, what passes as Christianity is a negation of the Sermon of the Mount … I am speaking of the Christian belief, of Christianity as it is understood in the West. Mahatma Gandhi
Point to ponder: after reading the above on how a book critic might critique Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, do you recognize how radical and revolutionary the teachings of Jesus really are?
Prayer focus: For our culture to once more reflect, revere, and respect the message of the Sermon on the Mount.