The Sermon on the Mount
“But I Say to You”: Christ Clarifies What We’ve Compromised
A Treatise on the Controversial Authority of the Sermon on the Mount
We are not struggling with what Jesus said.
We are struggling with whether we believe it.
Not whether it sounds beautiful.
But whether it is binding.
The Sermon on the Mount is not a suggestion.
It is God’s own voice.
It does not ask for applause.
It demands alignment.
“You have heard that it was said... but I say to you.”
—Matthew 5
Six times Jesus says this.
It’s not a teaching trick.
It’s a holy sledgehammer.
“You have heard...” — That’s what we like.
It’s what the rabbis said. What the culture says.
What our friends believe.
What the churches repeat.
But “I say to you...” — That’s where God speaks.
We are addicted to “you have heard.”
We build our theology on hearsay.
On preference.
On tradition.
On comfort.
We defend it. We preach it.
We get angry when it’s challenged.
But Christ clarifies.
And that’s where things get dangerous.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets...”
“I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
—Matthew 5:17
He’s not relaxing the standard.
He’s revealing its full weight.
And in doing so, He exposes us.
“You have heard it said, don’t murder.”
We agree.
We nod.
“But I say to you, don’t hate.”
Now we squirm.
“You have heard it said, don’t commit adultery.”
No problem.
“But I say to you, don’t lust.”
Now it’s personal.
“You have heard it said, divorce is okay with paperwork.”
That’s common today.
“But I say to you, it produces adultery.”
That’s offensive.
“You have heard it said, love your neighbor.”
That sounds noble.
“But I say to you, love your enemies.”
That sounds naive.
Each time, Jesus cuts deeper.
Not into the law.
Into us.
The law pointed to righteousness.
Jesus demands heart-level holiness.
The controversy isn't the command.
It’s the clarity.
We can twist “you have heard” into anything.
But “I say to you” leaves no wiggle room.
Jesus claims authority over tradition.
Authority over interpretation.
Authority over you.
“He taught as one who had authority, not as their scribes.”
—Matthew 7:29
That’s why they were offended.
And that’s why many Christians still are.
He doesn’t sound like a motivational speaker.
He sounds like a King.
And kings don’t suggest.
They command.
This is the real reason the Sermon on the Mount is controversial.
Not because it's hard.
Because it's holy.
Not because it’s impossible.
Because it’s absolute.
Modern Christianity often preaches grace without transformation.
We preach Jesus the Savior, but not Jesus the standard.
We want the cross to save us —
But not the sermon to shape us.
Jesus didn’t say:
“Try your best.”
“Live your truth.”
“Everyone struggles.”
He said:
“Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
—Matthew 5:48
That’s not hyperbole.
That’s God’s standard.
Now pause.
Jesus isn’t calling us to earn righteousness.
He’s showing us what it looks like when He lives in us.
This is the fruit of the Spirit-filled life.
Not the requirement for salvation.
But the evidence of it.
“Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” —John 15:5
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” —Galatians 2:20
He speaks these radical truths —
Then fills us with His Spirit to walk them out.
This is why the Sermon on the Mount is not just hard —
It’s impossible without Him.
But in Him,
It becomes our roadmap.
Our identity.
Our reflection.
We are meant to mirror Christ.
He is not merely the messenger —
He is the message.
“Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.” —John 14:9
The Sermon on the Mount is not just what God wants.
It’s what God is.
And we are called to be like Him.
“Be imitators of God, as beloved children.” —Ephesians 5:1
“Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” —1 John 2:6
Not sometimes.
Always.
So here’s the controversy:
We prefer to live by “You have heard…”
Because it’s easier.
Safer.
Less costly.
But Jesus says,
“But I say to you…”
And we are left with a choice:
Applaud it —
Or obey it.
🕊️ The Sermon will either humble you into grace —
Or expose your refusal to change.
Which voice are you following?
“You have heard...”
or
“But I say to you…”?
