1 In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus focused on the need for h

1-         In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus focused on the need for human renewal and transformation.

Do you believe that human transformation is possible? Can people fundamentally change in their moral values, character and ethical conduct? How much can we really change? How true is the saying that we cannot change people but we can only influence them?

4-         Many readers of the Bible consider that some of statements found in the Sermon on the Mount belong to the “hard sayings of Jesus.”

What did you find puzzling or even disturbing in chapter 5 of Matthew? What do you make of Jesus’ statements regarding adultery and divorce? Impossible? Outdated? Valid? What do you think are the factors in our culture that jeopardize or weaken the institution of marriage?

Solution

1. Yes, human transformation is possible. People can change fundamentally in their moral values, character and ethical conduct but not fully. A human mind and body shapes and finds its ground by the age of 21-25. Once a character, or moral is build by such age then it is really difficult to change it or modify it. Untill such age, the surrounding environment plays a greater role in defining these traits. The environment at home given by parents and siblings, the school friend circle and college friend circle plays a critical role in shaping the thinking and ethical conduct.

During the later years it might be possible to reshape these traits but more or less it remains unchanged in a lot of people.

The saying is absolutely true that we can only influence people for some time to make a decision but in longer run the thought process or character of that person plays a key role in shaping the decisions. The natural instinct always comes from the inherent charactor and not the temperory influence created by some person.