Simplicity and the Sermon on the Mount

Authors

Falon Opsahl Barton, University Church of Christ MalibuFollow

Abstract

Jesus lived a life of simplicity in his possessions and his purpose. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus invites his disciples, then and now, into a similar life of simplicity that is fully focused on God alone in order to make whole our relationships with God, ourselves, each other, and creation. This article claims that simplicity is a primary theme of Jesus’ longest discourse, and that Jesus’ simplicity is not self-focused, but rather benefits all humanity and all creation. This article exegetes Matthew 6:25-34 specifically, and draws out some of the theological and missional implications of Jesus's model of simplicity. It lastly explains how Jesus’ model of simplicity is worshipful, communal, complex, harmonious, and liberating.

Author Bio

Falon is the Campus Minister for the University Church of Christ at Pepperdine, focusing primarily on the spiritual formation of college students. She also co-hosts a podcast called Emerge: Questions that Matter for Young Adult Spirituality. She has her Doctor of Ministry from the Hazelip School of Theology at Lipscomb University, as well as an MA in Religion and BAs in Journalism and Hispanic Studies from Pepperdine University. She is especially interested in the calling on disciples of Jesus to love our neighbors by caring for God's earth.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Barton, Falon Opsahl (2024) "Simplicity and the Sermon on the Mount," Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/discernment/vol10/iss1/4