Matthew 5-7 in three weeks. Each week takes a chapter, slowly, with prayer and a posture of listening rather than mastering.
Matthew 5-7 is the longest single block of Jesus' teaching in the Gospels. Read all at once it can overwhelm. Read slowly, three weeks, one chapter per week, it becomes a map.
Week 1 — Matthew 5
The Beatitudes. Salt and light. The fulfillment of the law. The harder ethic — anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, love of enemies. Jesus is not relaxing the law; he is going to its root.
Week 2 — Matthew 6
The Lord's Prayer in its original setting. Almsgiving, prayer, fasting — all warnings against performance. Treasures in heaven. Anxiety and the kingdom. "Seek first the kingdom of God."
Week 3 — Matthew 7
Judging. Asking and receiving. The narrow gate. False prophets. The two builders. The crowd is astonished, "for he taught them as one who had authority."
How to read
- Read the chapter slowly each day of its week.
- Pick a single phrase that stops you. Sit with it.
- Pray it back to God in your own words.
- Carry it through your day. Notice when you fail it. Notice when you don't.
Reflection questions for the whole sermon
- What does Jesus assume about his hearers that you don't assume about yourself?
- Where are you tempted to soften his teaching?
- What would your week look like if you actually believed Matthew 6:33?