Sermon on the Mount: How to Know Genuine Ethics versus Counterfeit

This sermon analyzes three metaphors Jesus uses at the end of the Sermon on the Mount to explain its meaning. The sermon emphasizes the difference between external righteousness, represented by the Pharisees' strict adherence to the law, and internal reality, which is the true righteousness of the heart that God desires. This difference is illustrated through several contrasting pairs: two gates (one narrow, one wide), two ways (one to life, one to death), and two trees (one good, one bad). Ultimately, the sermon urges listeners to do the will of God, which involves genuine internal transformation reflected in outward actions, rather than simply maintaining an appearance of righteousness.