BibleProject | Sermon on the MountSample

The Choice

Today marks the final session of our Sermon on the Mount reading plan, and we will examine the poignant (and kind of intense) conclusion to Jesus’ teaching, captured in Matthew 7:13-27. Jesus presents his listeners with a choice about how they’re going to live. Will they follow his peaceful and loving new way of life into God’s Kingdom? Or will they choose a different route?

Jesus illustrates this choice with three different images: paths, trees, and houses.

To learn more, let’s watch episode 10, The Choice.

Video Reflection Questions:

1. The beginning of this video frames the Bible as the story about a choice between two paths—one leading to life and the other to death. How does that idea help or challenge your understanding of the Bible?
2. According to Jesus, why does the path leading to life sometimes feel narrow or constricting?
3. Jesus says that we can identify illegitimate prophets by their fruit. What are some examples of bad fruit produced by a leader? What are examples of good fruit?
4. How is it possible for people to do things in Jesus’ name but not actually be known by him? What are some modern examples?
5. Why does Jesus compare our choices and lifestyle with building a house? How does this connect to the concept of Israel’s temple as “the house of God”?
6. How can following the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount prepare us for the storms of life? Consider a few examples, such as financial hardship, persecution, or unexpected tragedy.

Let’s read Matthew 7:13-27. Below is the BibleProject Scholarship team translation, and we also encourage you to read this passage in other translations.

13 Enter through the narrow gate.

Because wide is the gate

and broad is the road that leads to ruin,

and those who enter through it are many.

14 How narrow is the gate

and constricted is the road that leads to life,

and those who find it are few.

15 Watch out for illegitimate prophets,

who come to you in the clothing of sheep,

but inside they are wolves who snatch.

16 By their fruits you will recognize them.

Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes

or figs from thistles?

17 Similarly, every good tree produces good fruit,

but the diseased tree produces bad fruit.

18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit,

and a diseased tree cannot produce good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit

is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 Not everyone who says to me,

“Master, master!”

will enter into the kingdom of the skies,

but rather the one who does the desire of my Father in the skies.

22 Many will say to me on that day,

“Master, master,

didn’t we prophesy in your name,

and cast out demons in your name,

and do many mighty acts in your name?”

23 And then I will confess to them,

“I have never known you;

go away from me,

you who act as if there is no Torah.”

24 So then, everyone who hears these words of mine

and does them,

they will be like a wise man

who built his house on the rock.

25 And the rain came down,

and the rivers came,

and the winds blew,

and they fell upon that house,

but it did not fall

because its foundation was on the rock.

26 And everyone who hears these words of mine

and does not do them,

they will be like a foolish man

who built his house on the sand.

27 And the rain came down,

and the rivers came,

and the winds blew,

and they fell upon that house.

And it fell,

and its falling was huge.